------ Forwarded Message > From: Sardar <sar...@spiritone.com> > Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:58:05 -0800 > To: Sardar <recon1968br...@yahoo.com> > Subject: Terror threat to city water | Washington Examiner > > Terror threat to city water > By: Michael Neibauer > Examiner Staff Writer > January 12, 2010 > > (Examiner file) > > Chlorine changed to protect D.C., Va. supply > > The main disinfectant in the drinking water of nearly 1 million D.C. and > Northern Virginia residents is being switched by the Army Corps of Engineers > to thwart the threat of terrorists releasing deadly chlorine gas. > > The switch will be from chlorine gas to a liquid form of chlorine called > sodium hypochlorite. Both are equally effective, according to the Washington > Aqueduct, an arm of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. But the liquid, "is > considered much safer to transport, store and use than gaseous chlorine," > said an official. > > Chlorine and water disinfection "may be the best thing to happen to the > world" in the last 100 years, Thomas Jacobus, Washington Aqueduct general > manager, told The Examiner. But the gaseous chlorine that currently is being > used is potentially deadly if released; it was used in World War I as a > choking agent. > > "If you've got individuals or movements who want to try to use your own > products againt you, if someone were to intercept a rail car, reroute it and > release its contents, it could be devastating," Jacobus said. > > The aqueduct provides roughly 180 million gallons of drinking water a day to > about 1 million residents in the District, Arlington and Falls Church. > > The switch is "absolutely a good sign" for homeland security in the nation's > capital, said D.C. Councilman Phil Mendelson, chairman of the public safety > committee. > > But a broader fear remains: Dangerous materials are regularly transported > through the District by rail, Mendelson said, and the federal government is > far too secretive with that information. > > "It appears that the shipments of the most hazardous materials have been > removed from the Virginia Avenue [rail] line but they continue on the > Northeast line," Mendelson said. "We just don't know." > > The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the chlorine swap in > mid-December. Changeover presents no hazard, officials said. But the corps > and the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority will nevertheless increase monitoring > and testing for 18 months. > > The change to liquid chlorine will start in the next month, Jacobus said. At > the same time, the aqueduct also will begin adding caustic soda and a > sulfuric acid solution to the water to balance pH levels. > > Officials say city and Northern Virginia residents will not notice any > difference in the way local water tastes or smells. > > Washington Aqueduct water is disinfected in two stages -- the primary phase > features chlorine and the second chloramine, a combination of chlorine and > ammonia. Fluoride is added to reduce tooth decay, orthophosphate to control > pipe corrosion and minimize lead release, and occasionally powdered > activated carbon for taste and odor control. > > > mneiba...@washingtonexaminer.com > > > > > > > > Read more at the Washington Examiner: > http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Citing-security_-Washington-Aqueduct-s > witching-water-disinfectant-8704936-81176692.html#ixzz0cY1ebYz0 > > http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Citing-security_-Washington-Aqueduct-s > witching-water-disinfectant-8704936-81176692.html
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