When a highly toxic chemical used for cleaning coal spilled from storage tanks into West Virginia's Elk River, more than 30 people were admitted to area hospitals with nausea and vomiting.
The Charleston Area Medical Center Health System (CAMC) went into emergency-response mode, according to an article on the Healthcare Facilities Management website. One priority was to find water to replace the average 7,200 gallons CAMC uses each weekend.
Within a few hours of contacting the county emergency services department, a 7,000-gallon water tanker was stationed at the system's largest facility, said Joe Tucker, system director, housekeeping and logistics. A 1,200-gallon drum filled with water was delivered to another hospital and a 400-gallon drum to a third.
Local vendors delivered water coolers and ice coolers to the hospitals to ensure that each nursing unit had sufficient water for patients.
CAMC also had stored about 24,000 bottles of water on-site for an emergency, Tucker said
Read the article.
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