Excess chemicals dropped in Davie, Pine Island Ridge water finally cleared up

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Excess chemicals dropped in Davie, Pine Island Ridge water finally cleared

up

By JOE KOLLIN, Staff Writer

Web-posted: 8:37 p.m. Aug. 9, 1999

DAVIE -- Residents who became teary-eyed as they cooked or showered

during the past few days should have dry eyes today. The extra chlorine and

ammonia accidently added to their water last Wednesday should be out of the

water system by now.

By mistake, too much of the disinfectant chemicals was added to the

water at the City of Sunrise treatment plant that serves about 30,000

residents in Davie and Pine Island Ridge.

The problem was corrected Thursday morning, after some of the overly

treated water got out into the water distribution system.

At no time did the extra chlorine or ammonia cause a health risk,

according to Tom Muller, director of environmental engineering for the

Broward County Health Department. Although the smell or taste might be

" offensive, " and eyes might burn when taking a hot shower, the chemicals are

considered so safe that the state doesn't set a maximum allowable limit, he

added.

The chemicals are used for sterilizing water that comes from wells. Extra

chlorine is used at this plant to lighten the color because water from

nearby wells is dark.

Sunrise and the health department received a total of five complaints, or

one for every 6,000 residents, between Wednesday and Monday.

The water treatment plant is located in the Park City Mobile Home Park on

State Road 84.

" You would expect complaints to have come from the park first, but only

one resident complained, about chlorine in the shower, " Muller said.

The plant manufactures an average of 3 million gallons per day, according

to Walt Garrard, the Sunrise assistant director of utilities.

The problem stemmed from Sunrise switching the type of chlorine it uses

from gas to liquid. The switch required adjusting the amount of ammonia also

put in the water in order to achieve the proper balance. The adjustment

apparently wasn't made last week.

Garrard said the water plant operator, after noticing the problem last

Thursday morning, immediately shut down the plant. He also dumped all

treated water from the storage tanks so it wouldn't get into water lines.

Some had gone through the lines during the night, however, and reached some

residents.