If you’ve ever heard a siren sound in the morning and wondered where it came from then wonder no more!
Residents near the Hampton Water Treatment Works on Lower Sunbury Road in particular will be aware that Thames Water store chlorine on site (used to cleanse the water supply) and have safety procedures in place to follow in the unlikely event of an accident or leak.
Although the amount stored on site is far less now and the chlorine is produced more on-demand these days, Thames Water still sound their emergency siren every Tuesday at 9am for 15 seconds or so to familiarise those who live or work nearby with the sound.
Thames Water leaflet buildings within a half a mile radius giving advice on what to do if they hear the emergency siren. Advice on hearing this includes going immediately going indoors, closing all windows/doors and staying tuned to the radio for updates.
Local community groups had expressed concern about storing and transporting near their homes and schools such large quantities of a dangerous substance that had previously been used as a poison gas during WWI.
Obviously the siren can be heard much further afield – across parts of Teddington too and because of its placement in between the town and Water Plant, some had assumed that the siren originated from the NPL but this is not the case.
If these leaflets are still handed out to nearby residents we would love to find out more up-to-date information about the advice that they provide, or indeed any more recent information about the chlorine store. Thames Water have been asked several times about this but have yet to reply.
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