Chemical Spill at El Segundo Water Treatment Plant

EL SEGUNDO, CA — A chemical spill was reported Tuesday afternoon at the West Basin water treatment plant across from the Chevron refinery. 

The spill was reported at around 1 p.m, West Basin Water District Assistant General Manager Shivaji Deshmukh said.

"Early today, we have a chemical that was put into the wrong chemical tank," he said. "We're still investigating why that happened."

The chemical created a "minor heat increase" and the plant contacted the El Segundo Fire Department out of "an abundance of caution," he said. 

The fire department evacuated a nearby building and shutdown a portion of El Segundo Boulevard near Sepulveda Boulevard.

No one was hurt in the incident and nothing serious was affected in the treatment system, Deshmukh said.

The plant treats recycled waste water for use in the Chevron refinery cooling towers.

The accident happened within the chemical tank and nothing was released into the air, Deshmukh said. 

The fire department has since cleared the scene, he said.