Seattle Public Utilities tells CHS that Monday night’s hazardous materials incident at the Volunteer Park reservoir was indeed caused by a chlorine leak at the facility. Monday night, CHS reported on a large Seattle Fire response to the scene as crews attempted to determine what was causing elevated chlorine levels to be detected at the reservoir.

According to SPU, the leak occurred in a contained area of the facility where a vacuum feed system manages chlorine levels in the water supply. The system was shut down and the reservoir is currently “offline” until it can be checked out and any needed repairs completed.

We also learned that while the reservoir is typically only used for drinking water during peak times in summer, it was currently being used to augment the city’s water supply while work on the Maple Leaf reservoir is completed. For now, Volunteer Park’s water will not be used and water from other city facilities will have to fill the gap.

The 3-acre reservoir has been serving the city since 1901. Back in the good ol’ days, it was also used for swimming and recreation.