Bromine chemical leak forces evacuation of the Westmoor Club in Nantucket

By Madeleine List
Posted Jul. 5, 2016 at 6:34 PM


NANTUCKET — About 50 people evacuated the Westmoor Club on Tuesday morning after hazardous chemicals leaked from a malfunctioning piece of hot tub equipment, according to a press release from the Nantucket Fire Department.

Firefighters responded to the country club at 9:44 a.m., evaluated 20 people and took one to Nantucket Cottage Hospital to be treated for exposure to the chemical, the statement reads.

Nantucket hazardous material technicians in hazmat suits secured the equipment and ventilated the building, according to the statement. Investigators determined the chemical to be bromine, the statement reads. It is used in the sanitation of the hot tubs.


Leaky Wooden Hot Tubs

There are still a few unlined wood tubs around, so we will touch on them briefly here.  First, it must be determined why the vessel is leaking.  If the tub has leaked since installation, then the cause is likely improper assembly.  Correction may require disassembly to find and fix the errors made when it was put together.  Refer to the installation manual and consult with the dealer for help if necessary.  Continue reading if disassembly is impractical.

Once a wooden tub has been used, it is important to keep it wet.  If the wood is allowed to dry-out, it will begin to shrink (much like an old wooden boat hull out of water) and this can cause gaps to open up.  Often, refilling it with water and allowing the wood to reabsorb moisture will cause the gaps to tighten, unless severe warping has occurred.

If the hot tub has held water without leaking for some time, and then begins to leak, the problem may be from wood degradation.  A common cause is the use or overuse of chlorine and bromine which results in delignification, a process in which the wood cells are actually eaten up.  A symptom is the presence of cellulose fuzz on the tub's surfaces, which can be removed with a stiff brush.

NOTE: After fixing your leak problem, consider switching to an alternative sanitizer such as Cleanwater Blue, which will not attack wood.

Other conditions which may cause leaks are sustained improper water balance (pH too high or too low), a shifting foundation due to ground settling, or insect infestation.  Carpenter ants, for example, seek out and devour wet wood.
Household sealants, which are usually solvent or silicone based products do not work well for this type of leak because they do not adhere to wet wood.  Some tout sawdust made into a paste, then forced into cracks to help to seal leaks.