(FreedomBeacon.com)- A chemical spill in neighboring Bucks County has prompted authorities in Philadelphia to issue a caution against consuming tap water.
The Philadelphia Water Department reports that a latex product was dumped into a Delaware River tributary in Bristol Township on Friday night. Authorities in Philadelphia issued a public safety caution on Sunday afternoon, recommending that all people begin drinking only bottled water until the “all clear” was given.
Because the toxins had not been found in the water system, authorities reassured residents late Sunday morning that skin contact and fire safety were not risks.
Michael Carroll, deputy managing director of Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability, said that washing dishes or taking a shower is not an issue. And there is no fear regarding breathing fumes at the levels they are assessing in the air.
But, officials advise using bottled water as a safety measure.
They can’t say for sure that there won’t be any traces of these chemicals in the tap water, so they have alerted the citizens so that they can consider using bottled water to mitigate any danger if there is one.
According to online comments, stores ran out of bottled water in a matter of hours.
The leak was between 8,100 and 12,000 gallons of latex material from the Trinseo PLC chemical factory into Otter Creek, which drains into the Delaware River.
Cleanup crews have reportedly begun addressing the leak, and unlike the aftermath of the Norfolk Southern train collision a month ago in East Palestine, Ohio, not far from Pennsylvania’s western border, no animals seem to have been hurt.
Coast Guard Captain Jonathan Theel headed up the Delaware Bay sector and told CBS News, “We are working with the responsible party and local and federal authorities to assure a safe response effort.” The Coast Guard is also helping the state government of Pennsylvania with the cleanup.
Almost 1.6 million people live in Philadelphia’s eastern side, along the Delaware River and where the city’s water department released a link to a map highlighting areas “possibly affected” by a chemical leak.
