After a chemical spill upstream of the Delaware River, residents of Philadelphia and surrounding areas rushed to the mall to buy bottled water.
According to the Guardian, although local authorities say that the tap water is safe to drink at least until midnight on Monday, people have resorted to buying mineral water from stores for fear of poisoning.
Health officials say between 8,100 and 12,000 gallons of a latex chemical solution has entered the Delaware River after a chemical spill from the Trinseo Altuglas facility in Bristol.
Despite the fact that the local authorities emphasize that this solution is non-toxic for humans, many local residents avoided drinking the tap water to avoid poisoning. Long lines are now forming at stores in the Philadelphia area, and people are buying and stocking up on mineral water.
Michael Carroll, deputy director of Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure, said: “So far, no signs of pollutants have been observed in the city’s water.” However, one cannot be sure about this.
He underestimated the dangers of this chemical in water, if any, and added: We seek to inform people to use mineral water only for eating and cooking, so as to minimize possible risks.
The Philadelphia Water and Sewerage Department also announced that according to the cycle of water entering the treatment centers and then the water supply network, the water was safe for people to drink at least until Monday. The previous message about using mineral water for drinking was issued only on the basis of extreme caution.
Leave a Reply