Delaware residents should not be affected by a chemical spill in Philadelphia that left portions of the Delaware River polluted, officials said Monday.
Approximately 8,100 gallons of latex finishing material, a water-soluble acrylic polymer solution, was spilled into Otter Creek, a tributary of the Delaware River, just before midnight on Friday, March 24, with the Coast Guard estimating as many as 12,000 gallons were released, according to Philadelphia Water Department.
The cause for the spill was a pipe rupture at the Altuglas plant in Bristol Township that spilled the hazardous liquid into a storm sewer, the company confirmed to WHYY News.
Same chemical released in Ohio
Chemicals released into the Delaware River include the same chemical released into a river in East Palestine, Ohio, after the Norfolk Southern train derailment, butyl acrylate, along with ethel acrylate and methyl methacrylate, chemicals used in the manufacture of plastics and coatings like latex paint.
Just before midnight yesterday, Delaware Health and Social Services (DHSS) announced on Twitter that the state’s drinking water was not affected and no further caution was advised for Delaware residents.
“DE drinking water has not been impacted by the chemical spill in a tributary of the Delaware River in Bristol, PA. Water treatment facilities that service DE do not take in water directly from the DE River. There is no impact to Delawareans at this time,” read the tweet from DHSS.
The bottled water advisory issued by the city of Philadelphia applies only to residents who live east of the Schuylkill River.
The water department released a map over the weekend showing which areas were potentially impacted by the spill and which were safe to continue using their water as normal.
