Philadelphia Residents Reassured to Drink Tap Water After Chemical Spill in Delaware River Tributary

Philadelphia residents can now drink tap water with confidence, following a chemical spill in a Delaware River tributary on Friday night.

The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) initially advised residents to switch to bottled water “out of an abundance of caution” after more than 8,100 gallons of a chemical solution were released into a creek.

However, on Sunday, the PWD announced that, “based on updated hydraulic modeling and the latest sampling, we are confident tap water from the Baxter plant will remain safe to drink at least through 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 27.”

The PWD said that the time it would take for the river water that entered the Baxter Water Treatment Plant intakes early Sunday morning to move through treatment and water mains before reaching customers was taken into consideration when making the decision.

The PWD also noted that the chemical spill was not related to the Baxter plant, and that the plant was operating normally.

The PWD is continuing to monitor the situation and will provide updates if necessary. In the meantime, residents can drink tap water with confidence.