The Berkeley Heights Fire Department contained a hazardous materials spill of peracetic acid at the township's Wastewater Treatment Plant on Friday, with crews dispatched at 12:19 p.m. and on scene roughly six minutes later, according to Fire Chief Jim Hopkins, as reported by TAPinto. No injuries were reported, and the Union County Hazardous Materials Team assisted with mitigation.
Key takeaways
- Firefighters were dispatched to the Berkeley Heights Wastewater Treatment Plant on Friday at 12:19 p.m. for a reported spill of peracetic acid, a chemical used for disinfection, per TAPinto.
- Before crews arrived, plant personnel had already begun containing the spill and preventing it from reaching nearby catch basins, according to TAPinto.
- Firefighters in self-contained breathing apparatus used absorbent pads and booms, then applied an acid neutralizer after consulting the chemical's manufacturer, per TAPinto.
- The Union County Hazardous Materials Team and the Berkeley Heights Rescue Squad supported the response, while New Providence and Chatham Township fire departments stood by to cover other emergencies, according to TAPinto.
- Township Business Administrator Liza Viana credited the plant's existing secondary containment structures and operator training for the quick outcome, per TAPinto.
What happened
Firefighters were called to the Berkeley Heights Wastewater Treatment Plant on Friday at 12:19 p.m. for a reported spill of peracetic acid, a disinfectant used at municipal plants, and reached the scene approximately six minutes later, Fire Chief Jim Hopkins told TAPinto in a report published 12 September 2026. The fire department said plant personnel had already taken initial steps to contain the release and keep it from reaching nearby catch basins before firefighters arrived, per TAPinto.
Crews wearing self-contained breathing apparatus used absorbent pads and booms to further contain the release, then applied an acid neutralizer after consulting with the chemical's manufacturer, according to TAPinto. The Union County Hazardous Materials Team joined the operation, and the Berkeley Heights Rescue Squad provided medical monitoring and rehabilitation support for firefighters and hazmat technicians, the outlet reported. As a precaution, New Providence and Chatham Township fire departments were placed on standby to cover additional calls in Berkeley Heights while local resources were committed to the hazmat response, per TAPinto.
Township Business Administrator Liza Viana attributed the outcome to pre-existing safety infrastructure and trained staff, telling TAPinto: "The peracetic acid was quickly contained. We have secondary containment structures in place at the plant for certain chemicals specifically for incidents such as this. Our wastewater treatment operators and Director know exactly what to do in situations like this regarding hazardous materials. It's part of the job. They did everything right." No injuries were reported, according to TAPinto.
Specification read
The source does not report the plant's design flow, daily throughput, or the volume of peracetic acid released, so no facility-scale figure can be carried forward from the coverage. As an operator-scale reference, small-to-mid New Jersey municipal plants of this class typically fall in the 5-50 MLD range, i.e. roughly 5,000-50,000 m³/day, with disinfection doses of peracetic acid generally dosed in the 1-10 mg/L range for polishing steps (general industry range, not from the sources). The event sits squarely in the disinfection stage of a conventional municipal train — screening → primary clarification → biological treatment (commonly activated sludge, MBBR or sequencing batch reactor for plants of this size) → tertiary filtration → disinfection with peracetic acid or comparable oxidant — and the incident is essentially a chemical-handling and secondary-containment event at that final stage rather than a process upset. Recognition cue: if your plant uses peracetic acid or other oxidizing disinfectants, stores totes or drums near process tanks, and sits under tight NJDEP discharge or collection-system reporting, the relevant procurement question is bundled chemical-storage secondary containment, dosing-skid bunding, and operator PPE/staging rather than new process equipment. For municipal and chemical handling frameworks that apply to this class of site, see our Municipal and Chemical industry hubs, and for the typical DAF-versus-clarifier trade-off when a plant of this size adds a chemical-stage step, the Industries We Serve overview and the Springdale comparison piece DAF vs Clarifier for Chemical Plant Wastewater in Springdale, US: 2026 Factory Guide lay out the decision in buyer terms.
FAQ
What chemical spilled at the Berkeley Heights wastewater plant, and why is it on site?
Peracetic acid, a disinfectant used at the plant, spilled at the Berkeley Heights Wastewater Treatment Plant on Friday, 12 September 2026, and firefighters applied an acid neutralizer after consulting the chemical's manufacturer, per TAPinto.
What secondary-containment features kept the spill from spreading?
Plant staff had already started containment before firefighters arrived, and the township's pre-installed secondary containment structures for certain chemicals are what kept the release from reaching nearby catch basins, according to TAPinto.
What budget should a buyer plan for oxidant secondary containment at a plant of this class?
Installed chemical-grade secondary containment, bunded dosing skids and acid-neutralization staging for a small-to-mid municipal disinfection area typically fall in the low-six-figure USD range depending on footprint and tank count (general industry range, not from the sources); the coverage does not report a cost figure, per TAPinto.
What is a realistic lead time for emergency response equipment delivery to a U.S. municipal plant?
Stock absorbent pads, booms and pH-neutralization agents are typically available within days from industrial safety suppliers, with engineered secondary-containment upgrades more commonly running 6-12 weeks from order to install (general industry range, not from the sources); the report does not cite a procurement timeline, per TAPinto.
