Acid spill prompts warning to stay out of Parleys Creek

An acid spill has firefighters and health officials urging people to stay out of Parleys Creek for the next few days.

Approximately 1,500 gallons of hydrofluorosilicic acid — used in water fluoridation — overflowed from a storage tank at the Mountain Dell Water Treatment Plant into the creek early Friday morning.

"They wanted everybody to stay out of the water at Tanner Park and Sugarhouse Park as a precautionary measure," Unified Fire Authority spokesman Travis Hanberg said Friday. "They didn't deem it as a life threat."

The Salt Lake Valley Health Department also extended the area to include Hidden Hollow and the Jordan River. The health department said efforts will be made to dilute and flush flouride from the creek by increasing the flow of water from Mountain Dell Reservoir.

"The bulk of the fluoride has been contained in a pond below the treatment plant and is being pumped into a tank and treated with a base solution to neutralize the chemical," health officials said in a statement late Friday.

The chemical could be lethal if ingested, or it could be a severe irritant to anyone wading in the water. Because of that, crews are concerned about residents and their dogs getting into the creek, Hanberg said. Wildlife Services is also assisting to make sure non-domestic animals are protected, he said.

The health department said the warning is in effect until Sept. 4.

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