Regina Northwest YMCA evacuates and temporarily closes after chlorine leak

The Northwest YMCA in Regina was evacuated because of a small chlorine leak on Sunday.

Steve Compton, CEO of Regina YMCA said "an odour was noticed in the building" at about 10:00 a.m. CST, and the building manager chose to evacuate everyone out of caution.

"What we've determined is that there was a leak related to our chlorine distribution system, so the fire department [and] hazmat emergency crew came out," said Compton.

The Northwest location is closed for the day, and until further notice when cleanup or repairs are finished.

According to the Regina Fire Department (RFD), the leak is believed to have come from a valve in the pool maintenance system, which is inside the pool building.

"In the low concentrations like we've found on scene here with a minor leak you may see something like, you know, eye and nose, and irritation, and sore throats potentially coughing," said Dustin McCullough, the RFD deputy chief.

McCullough said the fire department was not aware of anyone who was injured or ill from the leak.

He added this type of leak is relatively rare, but the RFD is trained in the event there is a chlorine leak, and they ventilated the building in this case.