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By Tiffany Goodwein

Chlorine gas alarm closes aquatic centre

Oct 23, 2019 | 5:18 PM

A chlorine gas alarm resulted in the closure of the Vernon Aquatic Centre Tuesday afternoon.

According to the city, the alarm went off around 4 p.m. on Oct. 22, forcing the evacuation of those in the pool.

“While it is unfortunate that this incident inconvenienced some of our facility users, this occurrence served as a test of our newly updated chlorine safety system,” said Gary Lefebvre, manager, aquatics.

Staff conducted an investigation and found a small amount of chlorine gas.

The city says the chorine gas was coming out of an empty tank that was recently taken off line and replaced 30 minutes prior.

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The tanks were resealed by maintenance staff, and systems were reset so the pool could reopen for swimmers.

“I am happy to say it worked and I am very proud of our staff, who acted quickly and followed our safety procedures to ensure both their safety and the safety of the public,” Lefebvre added.

by Tiffany Goodwein
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