JACKSONVILLE – City officials have confirmed that the city drinking water is safe to consume and there are no public health hazards after a hazardous material incident took place earlier this week at its water treatment plant.
The town’s fire and emergency services responded at 11 a.m. Tuesday to a call at the facility located at 177 New Frontier Way, where crews found that a private transport contractor that was delivering water treatment chemicals inadvertently discharged zinc orthophosphate into a storage tank containing sulfuric acid.
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“The chemicals were contained and at no time were any chemicals spilled,” the city said.
At the time, immediate areas were evacuated and an adequate isolation area was established for continued oversight. Air quality measurements were conducted through the night until units demobilized, according to the city.
Officials said Wednesday evening in the most recent update that “an environmental remediation company is on the scene to ensure proper cleanup and identify the need for any additional actions.”
Sulfuric acid is used to lower pH levels of incoming water and is removed in the treatment process before consumption and Zinc orthophosphate is used as a corrosion inhibitor to ensure integrity of pipes and valves. These chemicals and their levels are in compliance with Environmental Protection Agency standards, officials said.
More information on the city’s water treatment process and quality, a copy of the consumer confidence report is available on the website.
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