Explosion Damages Wastewater Plant At North Manchester
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
NORTH MANCHESTER - No one was injured when a building housing two solid waste digestors exploded Thursday afternoon at the sewer plant.
Methane gas appears to be the cause of the explosion, public safety director Jack Fetrow said at the scene.
No damage estimate was immediately available.
Several rows of concrete block and brick on the backside of the building toppled forward. Shards of glass were blown 25 feet from the building. Paint cans and wound wire were undisturbed on the shelves next to the destroyed wall. The boiler was intact.
The explosion left cracks throughout the building's outer wall.
"I'm just glad nobody got hurt," Public works superintendent John Mugford said.
The wastewater treatment plant crew was on break when the incident occurred.
"It sounded like someone slammed a door," one employee said. The fiberglass garage door was mangled.
Mugford planned on accepting bids at 10 a.m. Monday to reroof the 36-year-old building. Now, a structural engineer is needed.
Methane and natural gases run through the piping constantly, Mugford said.
The digestors break down the solid waste into sludge by a heating process, Mugford said. The sludge is later given to farmers for compost.
The incident is under investigation.
North Manchester, Chester and Pleasant township volunteer fire departments assisted at the scene. [[In-content Ad]]
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NORTH MANCHESTER - No one was injured when a building housing two solid waste digestors exploded Thursday afternoon at the sewer plant.
Methane gas appears to be the cause of the explosion, public safety director Jack Fetrow said at the scene.
No damage estimate was immediately available.
Several rows of concrete block and brick on the backside of the building toppled forward. Shards of glass were blown 25 feet from the building. Paint cans and wound wire were undisturbed on the shelves next to the destroyed wall. The boiler was intact.
The explosion left cracks throughout the building's outer wall.
"I'm just glad nobody got hurt," Public works superintendent John Mugford said.
The wastewater treatment plant crew was on break when the incident occurred.
"It sounded like someone slammed a door," one employee said. The fiberglass garage door was mangled.
Mugford planned on accepting bids at 10 a.m. Monday to reroof the 36-year-old building. Now, a structural engineer is needed.
Methane and natural gases run through the piping constantly, Mugford said.
The digestors break down the solid waste into sludge by a heating process, Mugford said. The sludge is later given to farmers for compost.
The incident is under investigation.
North Manchester, Chester and Pleasant township volunteer fire departments assisted at the scene. [[In-content Ad]]