GRANTS PASS – A shortage of West Coast chlorine supplies caused by the failure of electrical equipment at a major supplier in Longview, Washington will not have any impact on the City of Grants Pass water supply. The Oregon Office of Emergency Management announced this week that Westlake Chemical may not be back online until the end of the month, but authorities are monitoring the situation statewide.
Fortunately, the City of Grants Pass currently obtains its hypochlorite supplies from Olin Chlor-Alkali in Tracy, California, which has been unaffected at this time. The city maintains an adequate supply of the chemicals required to treat its water and has confirmed its order for additional supplies.
“The chlorine supply shortage will not impact Grants Pass customers,” said Public Works Director Jason Canady.
The city uses small amounts of liquid hypochlorite to control microbial contaminants in its water after the water filtration process. A packaged version of the chemical is used to maintain chlorine residuals in the distribution system. Grants Pass has plenty of both.
Canady said the City of Grants Pass is “ready and willing” to assist other local water utilities with meeting their supply requirements, should they have urgent need.
“Grants Pass and the Medford Water Commission have been in regular communication during this supply shortage and have standing mutual assistance agreements in place should the shortage become prolonged,” said Canady.
Though Grants Pass is not affected by the supply shortage, the city is following state protocols to request voluntary water usage reduction from its customers.
“Reducing water use will lessen the demand for chlorine in Oregon and across the West, which will reduce strain on the supply chain,” Canady said.
Steps water customers can take to conserve water include:
- Postponing New Planting: Planting new items in the yard or garden during hot weather is not the best plan for the health of the plant or for water conservation. If possible, wait until the weather cools before planting new items.
- Reduce Outdoor Watering: Hot weather doesn’t necessarily require increased outdoor watering. Lawns and most plants can withstand a few days of very hot weather without requiring additional water, especially if customers are following green grass gauge recommendations.
- Don’t Wash the Driveway: Avoid using water to wash driveways and sidewalks. Use a broom.
- Don’t Wash Vehicles at Home: Use car wash facilities to wash vehicles. Those facilities are designed to conserve and recycle water.
Customers with questions or concerns can contact the City of Grants Pass Public Works Department at: (541)450-6110.
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