Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky utilities shut Ohio River intake; 2 chemicals detected upstream

Erin Couch, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read
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Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati utilities shut off Ohio River intake early Sunday as water containing low levels of chemicals from an East Palestine train derailment flow to the region.

A Greater Cincinnati Water Works spokesperson said the flow was closed off at 2 a.m. The Northern Kentucky Water District is also closed off from that supply at the same time, according to a news release from the utility.

But Cincinnati officials are urging for calm. They said water was shut off as a precautionary measure before the flow gets to the region, and chemicals related to the derailment at the local intake site have been nearly non-detectable or at very low levels.

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Concerns of chemicals in the river stem from a Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine where tanker cars carrying hazardous chemicals caught fire and ruptured. That prompted worries in Cincinnati, as remnants from the spill were expected to arrive in the area early Sunday morning.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said Friday the level of chemicals in the Ohio River due to the East Palestine train derailment is no longer detectable.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said Friday the level of chemicals in the Ohio River due to the East Palestine train derailment is no longer detectable.

Water far upstream tested positive for low levels of butyl acrylate, as much as 4 parts per billion, the release states.

In a news release issued late Sunday afternoon, Greater Cincinnati Water Works said a compound called 2-Ethyl-1-hexanol was detected in a sampling upstream of the local water intake. There is no detectable concentration of this compound at the intake, the release states.

The Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission, a federal entity that represents eight states, is working with local utilities to monitor chemical levels. The commission operates a detection system spanning the entire 981 miles of the Ohio River.

The commission is collecting samples daily and posting results on its website.

Greater Cincinnati Water Works provides service to around 240,000 customers and covers Cincinnati, most of Hamilton County and parts of Butler and Warren counties.

The Northern Kentucky Water District serves nearly 300,000 customers in Campbell and Kenton counties, portions of Boone, Grant and Pendleton counties, and the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio River supply shut off in Cincinnati after East Palestine derailment