Chemical Spill Reported At Birmingham Water Works

VESTAVIA HILLS, AL - A chlorine spill Wednesday at the Birmingham Water Works Treatment Plant on US 280 has sent several people to area hospitals from the fumes. Authorities said two chemicals were mixed together that formed a toxic gas.

Highway 280 was closed for several hours, but re-opened at approximately 1:30 p.m.

The Vestavia Fire Department called for aid from other fire departments to assist. Multiple ambulances were called to the scene on Rocky Ridge Road, and police closed the roads as ambulances made their way to area hospitals.

"Initially 15 people were transported to local hospitals (one BWWB employee) and another nearly 40 who were in close contact of the chemical reaction were also transported," the Birmingham Water Works Board said in a release. "There is no threat to the water supply and no immediate cause for evacuation."

The Mountain Brook Police Department said the chemicals involved are sodium hypochlorite and ferric sulfate, which are used to treat water. The Birmingham Fire Department reported that hazmat entry teams closed the valves involved in the contamination, and officials have determined that the water is safe for drinking.

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The plant, which is located at the Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook line, is in a high traffic area. The Mountain Brook Police Department asked that anyone living in the area shelter in place.

The gas can cause sneezing, nose irritation, throat irritation, nausea, vomiting or a headache. People may also experience skin irritation or chemical burns and eye irritation.

"An accidental mix of sodium hypochlorite (which is essentially bleach) and ferric sulfate caused a chlorine off gas at our Shades Mountain Filter Plant," the BWWB said. "We use these components to treat water as our normal practice, however they are not meant to be mixed together."