Horsham Water Safe To Drink, North Wales Water Authority Says

HORSHAM, PA — A recent chemical spill in Lower Bucks County has not affected water quality for customers in Horsham with service from the North Wales Water Authority, said officials.

The latex spill into the Delaware River prompted officials in Bucks County and Philadelphia to send alerts recommending that certain residents only use bottled water for drinking and cooking. Click here for updates from the county, which says there are "currently no known adverse impacts to drinking water in Bucks County."

The North Wales Water Authority said its water supply is not affected by the spill, which happened at Trinseo Altuglas chemical facility in Bristol Twp, officials said.

"All retail service water customers served directly by the North Wales Water Authority, as well as all bulk customers receiving water from the NWWA and our Forest Park Treatment plant in Chalfont may rest assured that the recent split in the Bristol area of Lower Bucks County does NOT IMPACT the NWWA water supply in any manner," said the water authority.

"This notice includes our bulk water customers including the Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority, Horsham, Warwick, and Warminster Townships, none of which are impacted by the downstream contamination," said the North Wales Water Authority Water Supply on Monday.

The water supply explained that its water intake point at Point Pleasant is more than 35 miles upstream from the recent contamination location, "making it impossible for the contamination from the Bristol area in Lower Bucks County to reach and impact our water supplies."

Related article — Philadelphia Water Safe To Drink At Least Through Monday

The "latex emulsion product" was released from an Altuglas manufacturing facility Friday, shortly before midnight, into Otter Creek in Bristol due to an apparent equipment failure, according to its parent company, Trinseo PLC.

Residents in Bristol Borough, Bristol Twp., and Bensalem Township with questions should call their water provider.

Trinseo estimated 8,100 gallons of the solution — about 50 percent water and the remainder latex polymer — was spilled.

The latex emulsion is a white liquid used in various consumer goods, the company said. Altuglas and regulatory agencies were testing water samples in the surrounding area to confirm the material was not a threat to people or wildlife.

“We are conducting a thorough assessment of all of our systems and processes to identify and address potential vulnerabilities and will take the steps necessary to close any gaps,” Trinseo CEO Frank Bozich said in a news release Sunday. “The release of material has been stopped and our efforts are now focused on testing the local waterways.”

The Bristol facility manufactures acrylic resins for Trinseo’s Engineered Materials business. The plant employs about 110 people.

The incident is being investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The Coast Guard advised residents to stay away from the area during the cleanup.

This story contains reporting by Patch's Anna Schier.