Philly just got put on a bottled water alert

[BumRushDaShow]

Last edited Mon Mar 27, 2023, 03:36 PM - Edit history (1)

Every device that I have with EAS capability and that gets alerts from services I signed up for with ReadyPhiladelphia (Ready.gov) alerts have been lighting up the past half hour. There was apparently an 8000 gallon chemical spill into the Delaware River from some plant in Bucks County this past Friday.

Philly Residents ‘May Not Wish to Drink or Cook With Tap Water' Following Bucks County Chemical Spill, Officials Say

By Hayden Mitman • Published 2 hours ago • Updated 21 mins ago


Representatives from Philadelphia's water department and office of emergency management gathered on Sunday morning to detail the scope of -- and the City's response to -- a chemical spill that occurred in Bristol on Friday. "No contamination has reached our water system," Randy Heyman, the commissioner of the water department said.

Michael Carroll, deputy mayor for the office of transportation, infrastructure and sustainability, also noted that there have not yet been contaminants found in Philadelphia's water supply.

But, that could change this afternoon, he said. "Contaminants have not been found in our water system at this time. And, we expect that there is no risk that they will be present anywhere in our system before 2 p.m.," said Carroll.

However, Carroll said, there is no certainty that there won't be a minute trace of chemicals in tap water for the "entire afternoon." In fact, on Sunday, officials shared an alert telling residents to use bottled drinking water "until further notice."

(snip)

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philly-officials-residents-may-not-wish-to-drink-or-cook-with-tap-water-following-bucks-county-chemical-spill/3532493/

The map the notifications had linked to -



I live in that 1/3rd of the city that doesn't get water from the Delaware but from the Schuylkill so I'm supposedly okay here, although I have used Pur filter cartridges on my kitchen faucet for years.

ETA - Philly Inquirer had a more granular map on 3/27/23 showing what parts of the city got water from what plants (including mixes) -

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Link to presser

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1217787728845883

[Goonch]

2. Pipe burst at Trinseo PLC releases hazardous material into Bucks County creek; Coast Guard responds

https://6abc.com/coast-guard-us-environmental-protection-agency-pennsylvania-department-of-fish-and-boat-commission/13014583/

[BumRushDaShow]

3. AAAANNNNDDDD... this just hit CNN

Philadelphia officials advise residents to drink bottled water after a chemical spill in the Delaware River

By Samantha Beech and Danny Freeman, CNN
Updated 2:29 PM EDT, Sun March 26, 2023



CNN — The City of Philadelphia advised area residents on Sunday to drink bottled water “out of caution” after a chemical spill in the Delaware River.

“City of Phila recommends using bottled drinking water from 2PM 3/26/2023 until further notice for all Phila Water Department customers,” according to cell phone push alerts shared with CNN. “Contaminants have not been found in the system at this time but this is out of caution due to a spill in the Delaware River.”

The alert also provided a link to a community website for updates. A ShopRite store in South Philadelphia said it was selling out of bottled water before 2 p.m. Sunday after the alerts were sent out.

When the store is able to restock shelves, it plans to limit cases of bottled water to three per customer, a store worker told CNN.

(snip)

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/26/us/delaware-river-chemical-spill-philadelphia/index.html

[BumRushDaShow]

4. UPDATE (presser going on now)

Link to tweet

Philadelphia Water
@PhillyH2O
·
Follow
UPDATE: Based on updated hydraulic modeling and the latest sampling, we are confident tap water from the Baxter plant will remain safe to drink through 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 27.
We're continuing to respond to this incident. Follow for more updates:
phila.gov
City’s response to spill of a latex product into the Delaware River | Office of Emergency Management
PWD continues to monitor a latex spill on the Delaware River that could impact Philadelphia drinking water.
4:07 PM · Mar 26, 2023

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Recording of 5 pm EDT presser

Link to tweet

City of Philadelphia
@PhiladelphiaGov
·
Follow
Watch live now: @PhillyH2O and other City officials are providing an update on the City’s emergency response to a chemical spill on the Delaware River.
facebook.com
Press Briefing on the City’s Emergency Response to Chemical Spill...
0 views, 0 likes, 0 loves, 1 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from City of Philadelphia Government: City of Philadelphia Government is live now.
5:11 PM · Mar 26, 2023

https://www.facebook.com/cityofphiladelphia/videos/662583742300508

[sl8]

6. NYT: Philadelphia Monitoring Water Supply After Chemical Spill

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/26/us/delaware-river-latex-chemical-spill.html

Philadelphia Monitoring Water Supply After Chemical Spill

More than 8,000 gallons of an acrylic polymer solution leaked on Friday into a tributary of the Delaware River, a source of the city’s drinking water.

By Emily Schmall
March 26, 2023

Philadelphia officials on Sunday evening stepped back from a suggestion earlier in the day that residents consider using bottled water rather than tap water for drinking and cooking after a chemical leaked into a tributary of the Delaware River, a source of drinking water for about 14 million people across four states.

The previous advisory, issued on Sunday morning, came after a pipe ruptured at Trinseo PLC, a chemical plant, late on Friday, sending about 8,100 gallons of a water-soluble acrylic polymer solution into Otter Creek in Bucks County, north of Philadelphia, officials said.

Officials emphasized that contaminants had not been found in the city’s water system.

Officials said residents, out of an abundance of caution, could consider buying bottled water because, they said, it could not “be 100 percent sure that there won’t be traces of these chemicals in the tap water throughout the afternoon.”

[...]

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Ironically (and it took awhile) someone figured out there was another state across the river!

There's even a bridge (a drawbridge in fact) right there from the town where this happened (Bristol) that crosses over into New Jersey (to Burlington, NJ) -



And the September before last, a tornado even went over that bridge!

NJ American Water Customers Asked To Limit Water Use After Chemical Spill In Delaware River

Cecilia Levine
03/26/2023 6:19 p.m.


A chemical spill into the Delaware River last week did not impact New Jersey's treated water, however, New Jersey American Water is taking some precautions.

A voluntary water conservation notice was issued by NJAW for customers in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties, who were being asked to limit their non-essential water use following the Friday, March 24 latex spill in Bristol Township, PA.

Out of an abundance of caution, Pennsylvania residents along the Delaware River were urged to drink from bottled water, as officials were not 100 percent certain that the drinking water was not tainted.

The NJAW is "monitoring the source water and performing quality tests at various points in the treatment process and throughout the distribution system," the company said in a news release.

(snip)

https://dailyvoice.com/new-jersey/burlington/news/nj-american-water-customers-asked-to-limit-water-use-after-chemical-spill-in-delaware-river/859811/

Some people remember Flint, MI.