LAUREL — The Billings and Laurel water treatment plants suspended pulling water from the Yellowstone River this morning because of the train derailment into the river in Stillwater County. Many officials were worried the water might have been contaminated.
The reservoir at the Laurel water plant is usually full of treated water from the Yellowstone River but Saturday was an exception.
“We’re down about a million gallons and we’re pumping about three thousand gallons a minute. It’ll take a while,” said the city of Laurel planning director, Kurt Markegard on Saturday.
After news of the train derailment, Yellowstone County Disaster Emergency Services instituted an emergency plan in place for scenarios like this.
“That plan notifies all of the people who take water off of the river, the water treatment facilities, the irrigation canals, the energy companies,” said Yellowstone County Disaster Emergency Services director, KC Williams.
Water treatment plants in all three cities stopped pulling water from the river which meant reservoirs started to drop. Messages were also sent out on social media asking people to conserve water.
“Almost all of Lockwood, Laurel, and Billings and Shepherd and Worden use water from the Yellowstone River, either for irrigation purposes or for public drinking water,” Williams said.
Initially, it wasn’t clear what may have leaked into the river until authorities were able to asses the damage. Fortunately, two cars carrying sodium hydro sulfate didn’t breach the water.
Instead, asphalt and molten sulfur leaked into the river, but both of those chemicals solidify and sink after coming into contact with cold water.
“Really and truly, of the chemicals that could have spilled in the river, these are less problematic than some of the things that could have been,” Williams said.
“The solution to pollution is dilution so it’s so diluted by the time it gets here that we’re really not going to have any issues with it,” said Markegard.
All water treatment plants are back up and running again.
“Right now, assessing the situation, I don’t think we’re going to have any problems,” Markegard said.
