ST ALBANS — Vermont officials are investigating the discharge of more than half a million gallons of chlorine-laced wastewater from the St. Albans city wastewater plant.
Department of Environmental Conservation Deputy Commissioner Justin Johnson said 507,000 gallons of wastewater mixed with chlorine was released into Stevens Brook between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Tuesday.
Stevens Brooks feeds into Lake Champlain, but Johnson told the Burlington Free Press it's unlikely large amounts of the chlorine-treated water made it into the lake.
The wastewater plant treats sewage in part with chlorine. Because chlorine can harm plants and wildlife, plant operators remove the chlorine from the wastewater as a last step before discharging treated water into Stevens Brook.
Johnson said a Monday night thunderstorm might have helped prevent or limit damage from the chlorine.