Failure At WA Chlorine Plant May Force Some To Conserve Water

SEATTLE, WA — A failure at a Longview manufacturing plant has utilities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Northern California facing a chlorine shortage — a shortage that may leave an impact on the water supply in some towns, according to the Department of Health.

"The chlorine shortage does not impact all water and sewer utilities in the state, as some have their own onsite chlorine generators or have enough supply on hand to last several weeks," the department said in a release Saturday. "Based on the latest information, our largest water utilities should have enough supply to last until chlorine supplies resume."

The DOH goes on to encourage residents of smaller towns to check with their local water suppliers for further updates. The Department of Health is not asking Washingtonians to limit their water consumption just yet, though at least one smaller jurisdiction has already made that call — the City of Anacortes is asking that its residents, as well as the residents of Oak Harbor, La Conner, and at the Naval Air Station on Whidbey Island begin conserving water.

"The City is working diligently to find alternative sources of sodium hypochlorite, but customers should prepare for the possibility that the City will have to implement severe conservation measures if sources are not identified quickly," the city said in a statement.

As for the quality of Washington's drinking water, that should not be an issue.

“We assure you there is no immediate impact to drinking water in Washington,” said Lauren Jenks." CHES Assistant Secretary of Environmental Public Health. “We will continue to monitor and communicate updates when they happen.”

The chlorine shortage was caused by an electrical failure at Westlake Chemical, a plant in Longview, Washington which supplies chlorine to water and sewer utilities across the Pacific Northwest. The issue is expected to be fixed sometime in the next few weeks.

In the meantime, the DOH says it couldn't hurt to use water wisely just in case, and is encouraging Washingtonians to learn more about water conservation by visiting www.savingwater.org.