Plumbing Mix-up Makes Staff Sick
The Age
Tuesday October 9, 2007
MELBOURNE Water employees became ill after a plumbing error directed water intended for flushing toilets and washing equipment to drinking taps, an independent investigation has found.
The blunder at Carrum's Eastern Treatment Plant went undiscovered for nearly three weeks in March.Class B water, which is unfit for human consumption, was connected to drinking taps in the kitchen of a new administration building, and 22 staff members reported gastrointestinal symptoms as a result.An external investigator's report, obtained by The Age, found some pipes were not labelled to Australian standards. "This issue only came to light after several weeks when staff reported . . . distinct odour and discolouration of the water," the report said.Melbourne Water managing director Rob Skinner said the incident was deeply regrettable.Poor communication and project management led plumbers to connect the wrong pipes to taps, the report found.Melbourne Water estimated the error cost about $200,000, including medical expenses and consultants' fees. Doctors, WorkSafe inspectors and the Department of Human Services were all called to the site.All staff had fully recovered, Mr Skinner said.
© 2007 The Age
