ST. ALBANS, Vt. -
The state says the release of more than half a million gallons of chlorinated water from a water treatment facility into Lake Champlain is not a threat.
The St. Albans City Water Treatment Facility says a chlorine pump malfunctioned Tuesday, causing the bleach water to release prematurely into Stevens Brook. The water missed the final step in the dechlorination process. Officials say water levels were high in the brook because of storms during the discharge.
"Whatever is discharged out of the outflow is going to be mixing with a really high flow of water from Stevens Brook and you have a big dilution factor, plus whatever was in the brook water itself will soak up the hydrochlorate and it will eat that right up," said Brian Willett of the St. Albans Water Treatment Facility.
The sewage treatment facility was running at capacity at the time of the malfunction. Officials say the discharge is not a threat to the environment and many waste sewage treatments don't even go through the final step of dechlorination.
