What's going on with Philly's tap water? Is it safe to drink?
A chemical spill in the Delaware River on Friday, March 24, has ignited concern about the safety of Philadelphia's tap water, and a backtracked bottled water advisory from city officials has caused confusion among many residents. Is Philadelphia tap water safe to drink right now?
In an update at a virtual press briefing on the afternoon of Sunday, March 26, Philadelphia city officials notified the public that Philadelphia tap water is safe to consume at least through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 27, based on the latest testing results.
Is Philadelphia tap water safe to drink?
Yes, Philadelphia tap water is safe to drink right now. Only one of Philadelphia's three water treatment plants, the Baxter plant, takes water from the Delaware River, where the chemical spill occurred.
“The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) is confident tap water from the Baxter Drinking Water Treatment Plant will remain safe to drink and use at least through 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 27, 2023,” officials said in a press release.
“This updated time is based on the time it will take river water that entered the Baxter intakes early Sunday morning to move through treatment and water mains before reaching customers,” the Philadelphia Water Department said in an update.
In their latest guidance, city officials notified residents that they can find out if they live in a potentially impacted area served by the Baxter plant using this map.
The city will continue to test and monitor the water for any potential traces of contaminants and update the public.
The update came hours after representatives from Philadelphia’s Water Department and Office of Emergency Management said on Sunday morning that locals “may wish not to drink or cook with tap water” and that they “can consider switching to bottled water to further minimize any risk,” NBC10 Philadelphia reported. The earlier recommendation was made out of an “abundance of caution,” according to officials.
Delaware River water chemical spill
The Philadelphia Water Department initially alerted city officials that they were monitoring a chemical spill of a latex product on Friday, March 24, which occurred in the Delaware River just upstream of Philadelphia in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, officials said.
The chemical spill of contaminants into the river "had the potential to affect all water provided by the Baxter Water Treatment Plant,” according to a press release.
Immediately following the incident, the Philadelphia Water Department began monitoring the river and temporarily shut off intakes into the Baxter Water Treatment Plant while they continue to monitor the situation and test samples to ensure the water is safe, officials said.
The latex product spilled in the river is typically used to make headlight covers, officials said, and the primary substances of concern that authorities are testing for are:
Butyl acrylate
Ethyl acrylate
Methyl methacrylate
In Sunday's update, Michael Carroll, a city deputy managing director, assured residents that testing determined there is no contamination with these chemicals in the river near the intake for the city’s water system and no contamination of the water system itself
“I want to reiterate there was never any contamination in Philadelphia Water Department’s system,” Carroll said in Sunday evening's briefing, per NBC10 Philadelphia. “There was contamination in the Delaware River, but we shut off the intake to the River, and we’re operating off of water that was not contaminated. ... We were able to verify that we brought in water that was not contaminated."
Carroll previously noted in an earlier briefing that “the health risks are very low if present at all” and that “no acute effects are associated with low-level exposure.”
However, Sunday morning's advisory had already led to a run on bottled water throughout the city. Acknowledging a potential shortage, officials notified residents that there is no need to hoard bottled water and instead suggested people fill up clean bottles or pitchers with tap water now in case the situation changes, NBC News reported.
Philadelphia's tap water also remains safe to use for bathing, cooking and washing, the PWD said in an update.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
