Full Notification

At 6:30PM on Tuesday, the Town of Chester Police responded to a report of an explosion in the King Tract development off of Laroe Road. Residents in the area were reporting that they had no water. It was determined that the water treatment plant for the development had exploded. Chester Fire Department responded to the scene and were assisted by Orange County Fire Investigators. No evidence of criminal activity was detected. The water holding tank is pressurized by a compressor to send water to the residences. Preliminary investigation reveals that the tank failed and the internal pressure blew the end of the tank off and through the attached treatment building, completely demolishing the building. The water system that serves the area is privately owned by 473 West End Realty Corp. The water system owner has indicated that drinking water will be available to the residents from a water tanker later today.