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High Chlorine in Flowing Wells Pool Sends Seven Kids to Hospital

Source: The Tucson Citizen Publication date: 2000-06-16

Wednesday's power outage is suspected as the cause of the buildup, which could have been deadly.

By DAVID L. TEIBEL Citizen Staff Writer

Flowing Wells Junior High School's pool is open today after a chlorine gas incident sent seven children to hospitals yesterday.

The children, ages 8 to 12, were treated at University or Northwest medical centers and released yesterday morning, authorities said.

The incident occurred about 9 a.m. yesterday and may have been caused by Wednesday's extensive power outage, said Katherine Heiden, a Northwest Fire District spokeswoman.

Northwest fire investigators suspect that when power went out at the school yesterday afternoon , the water pumps at the pool, at 4545 N. La Cholla Boulevard, stopped pumping, Heiden said.

But the equipment that injects chlorine gas into the water to disinfect it did not.

The chlorine built to a high concentration in the water in the pool's pipes, and when the water pumps were turned on, a superchlorinated batch of water went into the pool.

Seven children near the pool's water outlet began coughing as the chlorine, which can be deadly in very high concentration, began irritating their breathing passages.

Flowing Wells principal David Baker said 45 to 50 children, members of a local swim team, were practicing at the pool when the incident happened.

Only the seven children were affected by the chlorine, according to reports.

Baker said the pool was closed for about 1 hours yesterday morning until Northwest fire hazardous materials specialists finished inspecting its equipment.

Baker said they found no problems with the equipment and allowed the pool to reopen.

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), June 21, 2000