Computer Flaw Makes Water Undrinkable
| Event Year: | 1998 | Reliability: | Likely But Unconfirmed |
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| Country: | United States | ||
| Industry Type: | Water/Waste Water | ||
| Description: | A computer glitch shut down the chlorination system and caused the chlorine content of the city water to drop below the safety threshold, affecting 40,000 residents. |
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| Impact: | This occurred during the night and was not discovered until a routine check 14 hours later. Notices were then sent out to 9,000 homes advising people ‘to boil the water before drinking.’ |
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| Action Description: | The city has now installed an automatic system to notify an on-call supervisor in case this recurs. | ||