Chlorine Gas Leaks at Water Park Result in $100,000 Fine

A routine check of the chemistry of a water park’s wave pool found that chlorine levels were low and there was an air leak that had shut down the pumps. Workers shut down the pool’s filtration system, repaired the leak and restarted the system. A number of guests in the wave pool soon began to experience ill effects, such as shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, burning sensation and pain in the mouth, nose, eyes, throat and lungs, nausea and vomiting, lip discolouration and headaches. About 20 people, mostly children, reported to the park’s first aid station. About 13 children were taken to the hospital. It was later determined that when the system was restarted, a bubble of chlorine gas was forced down the pipe and into the wave pool. Once the gas surfaced, people nearby almost immediately experienced the effects of the gas. A second similar incident also occurred at the park during a power outage. The water park pleaded guilty to two violations of the Environmental Protection Act and was fined $100,000 [Calypso Water Park, Govt. News Release, June 5, 2015].