Ohio officials announced that the water in East Palestine was safe to drink after testing was conducted. The announcement comes amid concerns over the impact of the recent train derailment.
The statement, obtained by reporter Jo Ingles, said the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency found that samples of the municipal water supply were free of contaminants. However, it noted that private wells should be tested before drinking.
The latest update on E. Palestine – Ohio Gov releases statement saying the latest tests on the city’s municipal water supply show it is safe to drink. pic.twitter.com/PpqpAJUL4H
— Jo Ingles (@joingles) February 15, 2023
“New water testing results have been returned to the Ohio EPA. These results show no detection of contaminants in raw water from the five wells that feed into East Palestine’s municipal water system. Test results from the combined, treated water from all five wells also showed no detection of contaminants associated with the derailment,” the statement read. “With these tests results, Ohio EPA is confident that the municipal water is safe to drink.”
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It went on to say that the results come as no surprise due to the protected nature of the water supply and distance from the derailment.
“East Palestine’s municipal water system, which provides drinking water for most area residents, takes in water from five wells that are located approximately one mile from the derailment site. The municipal wells are at least 56 feet below the surface and are covered by a solid steel casing that protects the water from contamination. Before drinking water is made available to the public, water from these five wells is combined at the water treatment plant and treated,” it said.
The statement concluded by urging those who own private wells to schedule them for testing. Private wells reside closer to the surface, so they may have been contaminated.
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Though the municipal water supply of East Palestine has been cleared, concerns remain over contamination in other water sources around the derailment site. On Tuesday, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’s Mary Mertz told reporters that four tributaries over a space of 7 1/2 miles were contaminated from the derailment, leading to the deaths of at least 3,500 fish, ABC News reported. However, officials said they are confident that the contamination is isolated and will not spread to drinkable water supplies.
