East Fork Poplar Creek starts at a spring at the Y-12 National Security Complex and flows through Oak Ridge. About six million gallons of water spilled into it in early June, killing several thousand small fish, after a 10-inch water line ruptured at Y-12.
The break in a 10-inch water pipe at the Y-12 National Security Complex on a Friday night in June—it spilled about six million gallons of water and killed several thousand small fish—was discovered by a diligent engineer who had returned to the plant to check on an abnormal water tower report, officials said.
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board reported that the plant contractor’s utilities and environmental compliance organizations both had had indications of an abnormal condition, but B&W Y-12 had not established a procedure to respond to the signals.
“The break was discovered because a diligent system engineer decided to come back in to the site and check on an anomalous report of a low level in a water tower that had cleared as the pumps refilled the tank,†the DNFSB report said. “B&W management is evaluating ways to improve recognition of a problem from the available indications during off hours.â€
Y-12 said other engineers who monitor utilities at the plant helped as well, tracing the water level change back to the line break.
The DNFSB report said the potable water supply line, which is part of a fire suppression system, burst Friday night, June 7, east of Building 9207, which is in the old biology complex on the east end of the plant. But the rupture was not discovered until Saturday morning.
“The delay in recognition can be partially attributed to the isolated location of the sub-surface break, most site personnel being gone for the weekend, and water towers being refilled,†the DNFSB said in a weekly report posted on its website.
The Potable Water System, or PWS, feeds all the fire suppression systems at Y-12, but the water supply was not affected by the rupture because pumps were able to maintain adequate levels in water towers, the report said. The DNFSB said a similar pipe break occurred in September 2012.
The chlorinated water that spilled into East Fork Poplar Creek after last month’s rupture killed an estimated 8,500 minnow-sized fish and almost 30 salamanders, officials said in a June 11 media advisory.
B&W Y-12, the plant’s management and operating contractor, said it started “immediate corrective actions to isolate the ruptured pipe and to monitor aquatic causalities.†Continued monitoring on Sunday the weekend of the spill showed no more creek casualties, and hundreds of healthy fish and other creek life were observed throughout the creek on both days, Y-12 said.
Fishery biologists from Oak Ridge National Laboratory estimated the mid- to long-term impact on local fish and salamander populations associated with the spill was likely to be minimal, Y-12 said.
East Fork Poplar Creek runs from Y-12 through the middle of Oak Ridge and out to west Oak Ridge near the former K-25 site, now known as East Tennessee Technology Park.
Kay Williamson says
we want 50 million NOW,,, DO NOT TRUST THEM, LATER THEY Will SAY WE DIDN’T KNOW THAT!!!
Kay Williamson says
MERCURY MILTON LAKE,,,, remember this…. won’t hurt anything,,, years later…OMG ENVIRONMENT DAMAGE IS DAMAGING, DON’T EAT THE FISH..
Karen Buckley says
What contaminants are in the water that killed the fish?
Jason Allison says
Treated water into an untreated stream.fish don’t have treated water that they swim in. It’s not a conspiracy and no one is trying to get one over on us.
Ellen Smith says
Treated water has a small amount of chlorine in it, to disinfect it. That’s what killed the fish. (Fish are a whole lot more sensitive to chlorine than we are.)
Sam Hopwood says
Much ado about nothing. The BIG problem with East Fork Creek that flows through Oak Ridge is the mercury contamination. Mercury continues to seep from Y-12 into the creek and probably will forever. Most of us have learned to live with all kinds of contamination in Oak Ridge. We are what we are. Some of us actually glow in the dark…. : )
Karen Buckley says
Thanks Ellen, in some environments chlorine is not considered a contaminant then. On the other hand, mercury is more generally considered a contaminant (toxic). In this instance, mercury was not a consideration, I assume.
Ellen Smith says
Small amounts of chlorine are added to most public drinking water supplies to keep the water free of infectious microorganisms. It’s not considered a contaminant (but the chlorine should be removed by filtering the water or letting it sit in the air for a while before you use it on fish or houseplants, and some people use filters to remove chlorine from the water they drink). Fish are very sensitive to chlorine, but the tiny amounts of mercury in the creek don’t seem to bother them.
johnhuotari says
Thank you, Ellen.
Tj garland says
Ellen, why no mention of fluorides?
Ellen Smith says
Because the tiny concentration of fluoride in our drinking water would have no negative effect on fish. Fluoride is an essential nutrient and the concentration in our water is no higher (in fact, less than) the concentrations in a lot of natural waters that fish swim in.
Dave Smith says
@Ellen Smith: The 2012 water quality report for the COR municipal water supply reported concentrations of approximately 1 ppm fluoride and 3 ppm chlorine. I presume the water was sampled at the treatment plant. From Huotari’s news report, I got the impression that the water that was spilled into the creek came from the water tower where the water would have been stored for an extended period. In that case, the concentration of chlorine in the spill would likely be less than that measured at the treatment plant because chlorine would have outgassed considerably while the water was held in the tower. This being said, I have a suspicion that the fish kill could be attributable to the low level of oxygen dissolved in the potable water rather than the residual chlorine. You can kill bait minnows by dropping them into distilled water if you neglect to oxygenate it beforehand.
johnhuotari says
Interesting. Thank you for the additional info.