Chemical spill at Tipp City water treatment plant; no threat to water supply

UPDATE @ 12:14 p.m.:

A chemical spill in the parking lot of the Tipp City water treatment plant will not threaten the water supply for the city’s customers, according to the city’s assistant fire chief.

Assistant Chief Ron Haley said a drum of Fluoroacetic acid was spilled in the rear parking lot of the facility. The acid is used during the water treatment process, Haley added.

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“With the wind we have now it’s not too dangerous,” Haley said.

The water department was able to dam the drains to ensure that the chemical did not get into the water supply.

Miami County HAZMAT remained on the scene around 12:15 p.m. and a cleaning company is responding to assist with cleaning up the chemical.

There were no injuries during the incident.

INITIAL REPORT:

Hazmat crews have been requested following a spill of 300 gallons of hydrochloric acid at a Tipp City water treatment plant, according to initial reports.

Crews were dispatched to the facility on South First Street around 10:50 a.m. Monday on initial reports of a chemical spill.

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Hazmat crews were later requested to assist at the scene, according to emergency scanner traffic.

There have been no reports of injuries or water contamination.

Emergency crews are blocking both directions of South First Street in the area of Kyle Park, according to our crew on the scene.

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Hydrochloric acid can cause severe irritation and severe chemical burns, according to the Center for Disease Control. It can cause severe eye damage if splashed in the eyes, and can cause severe injury to the mouth, throat, esophagus and stomach.

Hydrochloric acid is widely used in water treatment to neutralize high pH, according to watertechonline.com.

We’ll continue to update this page as we learn more.