Midvale school evacuated due to chlorine leak; students and staff safe

Midvale school evacuated due to chlorine leak; students and staff safe

(Unified Fire Authority)


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MIDVALE — A chlorine leak at a Midvale school prompted evacuations Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

The leak took place in the basement at Jordan Valley School, 7501 S. 1000 East in Midvale, according to a statement from Unified Fire Authority. The agency first reported the leak about 10:20 a.m.

The building was evacuated and a hazmat team responded to the school, the statement said. Someone at the school went to the basement and smelled something, and then found something leaking, authorities.

UFA identified the substance as chlorine when they tested the water levels an hour after the evacuation, according to Unified Fire Authority spokesperson Keith Garner.

The testing found the chlorine levels significantly below state requirements, Garner said. He also added that the air sample readings were too high to wear a mask.

All students and staff members at the school were safe, and the evacuation was precautionary, according to school spokeswoman Kirsten Stewart. The leak affected a chemical line that maintains a therapy pool at the school, Stewart said.

Parents were asked not to come to the school to pick up their kids, Stewart said.

Within an hour of the initial testing, UFA deemed both the water and air quality as safe, Garner said. Canyon School District will decide when to reopen the area, he added.

Thursday was the last day of school for Canyons School District, according to the district’s calendar.

Contributing: Jen Riess, KSL.com

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