Joinville has water cut off after acid leak into river – 01/29/2024 – Daily life

The most populous city in Santa Catarina, Joinville has 75% of its water supply interrupted due to a sulfonic acid leak in the river. The chemical was in a truck, which overturned this Monday morning (29), after hitting an embankment at km 14 of the SC-418 highway, in the Dona Francisca mountain range.

The city hall declared an emergency situation in the municipality, and the intake of the Cubatão water treatment plant was completely closed at 10 am to avoid contamination with product residues. The guideline is for the population to save water.

The supply cut affected at least 34 neighborhoods. “The closure will remain until the chemical analyzes of the samples collected are completed and it is proven that there is no risk to consumption,” said the city hall on its social networks, warning of the lack of water.

According to the municipality, water stored in water tanks or that reaches taps is suitable for consumption.

The municipal administration of the city of 616,300 inhabitants stated that the spread of acid into the region’s waters was detected in a helicopter flight by Mayor Adriano Silva (Novo). A crisis office was set up to monitor the situation.

Technicians from Companhia Águas de Joinville supervise the water from the Cubatão River, with collection for analysis every half hour, from 10:30 am.

In the first measurement, taken half an hour after the preventive closure of the catchment, the river water contamination rate was 0.19 mg of the chemical component per liter of water. “The acceptable value for the presence of the component is 0.5 mg/l”, said an excerpt from the text.

At 2:30 pm, about an hour after the foam that indicates the presence of the component reached the vicinity of ETA Cubatão, the index reached its peak, at 1.09 mg/l. At the 4:30 pm measurement, the rate had already dropped to 0.63 mg/l.

“Measurements point to a reduction in the contamination rate, but there is still no forecast for the opening of intake and normalization of services”, stated the city hall, in a note in the early evening.

According to Companhia de Águas, sulfonic acid is used as an active material in the production of detergents, shampoos and toothpastes.

“In normal concentrations, linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid does not present a toxic characteristic for humans, fauna or flora.”

Santa Catarina’s Procon said it had received a report of a sudden increase in the price of water in stores in Joinville and that it is monitoring possible abuses.

Because of the accident, the SC-418 highway was closed. The 59-year-old driver had to be admitted to the São José Municipal Hospital, with injuries to his body and is not expected to be discharged.

To the Military Police, the driver of the vehicle said that the accident occurred due to a lack of brakes on the truck.