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Burned chlorine no danger to Fallbrook

Although the Rice Fire burned a chlorine station at the Fallbrook Public Utility District’s Red Mountain Reservoir, Fallbrook residents do not need to worry about danger from the chlorine.

“All the chlorine burned in the fire. Chlorine is flammable, and it all burned in the fire so we don’t need to prevent a chlorine gas leak because there isn’t any gas left,” said FPUD general manager Keith Lewinger.

FPUD is currently using a temporary portable chlorine facility provided by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California which utilizes a liquid chlorine solution. “We will be injecting that liquid chlorine solution into the water supply. We no longer have any chlorine gas at Red Mountain,” Lewinger said.

The temporary chlorine facility eliminates the need for a “boil water order” for FPUD customers. “With the chlorine facility that we’re using, all the water that we’re delivering to the customers of FPUD is perfectly safe to drink from the tap,” Lewinger said.

The permanent replacement of the chlorine station will utilize liquid chloramination. FPUD was in the process of designing an ultraviolet disinfection facility for the Red Mountain Reservoir which would utilize liquid chlorine. The new chlorine facility will be the one associated with the UV project. “We’re simply trying to accelerate that project,” Lewinger said.

A chlorine leak which occurred inside the facility before it was destroyed does not pose a danger to the public. “There is no chlorine gas cloud,” Lewinger said.

FPUD’s supply ability has returned to what it was prior to the fires. “We have plenty of water,” Lewinger said. “I want to thank our customers for limiting their usage during the first two or three days of coming back into town.”

 

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