by Dave F » July 23, 2010, 9:48 pm
This is usually referred to as a backflow incident. I found this in a Michigan Depratment of Public Health publication. It does not identify the ship or city.
In 1963, a freighter docked at a Great Lakes port, caused the contamination of a portion of the public drinking water supply system. The ship had been utilizing city water for sanitary purposes throughout the winter months while in the yard for repairs. Prior to resuming its normal shipping season in the spring, it was necessary to test the fire fighting system. It was later determined that approximately 3,000 gallons of untreated surface water were pumped into the city system over a period of 45 minutes. The problem was first noticed when an employee in another portion of the shipyard noticed the water from a drinking fountain was highly turbid. The city water superintendent was notified and he immediately increased the chlorine application at the water treatment plant and began flushing hydrants in the area to remove the contamination from the system as soon as possible. This demonstrates how problems of an extremely serious nature can occur without the public water supply losing pressure. The high pressure fire pumps were operated at approximately 100 psi while the city was maintaining normal pressure of about 60 psi in the vicinity. All persons involved were extremely fortunate that no sickness or other problems resulted from this severe cross connection problem.
This is usually referred to as a backflow incident. I found this in a Michigan Depratment of Public Health publication. It does not identify the ship or city.
In 1963, a freighter docked at a Great Lakes port, caused the contamination of a portion of the public drinking water supply system. The ship had been utilizing city water for sanitary purposes throughout the winter months while in the yard for repairs. Prior to resuming its normal shipping season in the spring, it was necessary to test the fire fighting system. It was later determined that approximately 3,000 gallons of untreated surface water were pumped into the city system over a period of 45 minutes. The problem was first noticed when an employee in another portion of the shipyard noticed the water from a drinking fountain was highly turbid. The city water superintendent was notified and he immediately increased the chlorine application at the water treatment plant and began flushing hydrants in the area to remove the contamination from the system as soon as possible. This demonstrates how problems of an extremely serious nature can occur without the public water supply losing pressure. The high pressure fire pumps were operated at approximately 100 psi while the city was maintaining normal pressure of about 60 psi in the vicinity. All persons involved were extremely fortunate that no sickness or other problems resulted from this severe cross connection problem.