Slumping or sliding waste piles could injure or bury people who are on foot or on vehicles. The highly alkaline pond water poses a risk of skin and eye irritation to anyone wading or splashing in it.
Ponds also pose a serious drowning hazard.
Calcium hydroxide in its solid form is a skin, mucous membrane, and respiratory tract irritant. This will produce a saturated solution with a pH reading of about 12.4. However, aqueous solutions of calcium hydroxide are not readily absorbed into tissues, and prolonged contact is necessary for toxicity. Minor irritation to the skin may occur following prolonged contact. Some eye irritation may occur if this limewater is splashed into the eyes, but no serious or permanent damage is expected as a result of sporadic, short-term exposure.