Gas leak shuts down Newton Water Plant

An early morning gas leak shut down the Newton Water Treatment Plant Wednesday morning.

Newton Fire Chief Kevin Yoder says just after midnight Newton Fire Department responded to a chlorine gas alarm at the Newton Water Treatment Plant.

Yoder said the local hazmat team went inside to investigate. According to Newton's city manager, a faulty pump caused the leak.

"They believe that we have had a minor leak right now and they are in the process of ventilating that facility to try to determine where that originated," Yoder said earlier.

Plant employees shut the plant down when the alarm went off, but Yoder said the city has water in elevated tanks which will be used to serve city customers.

"There's no danger of running out of water," Yoder explained.

He is not sure when the plant will reopen.

Newton Police Department, Newton-Conover Rescue Squad, Catawba County EMS, and the Catawba County Hazmat Team responded to the incident.

This story was originally published February 8, 2017 at 6:10 AM with the headline "Gas leak shuts down Newton Water Plant."