Lower Makefield, Yardley Drinking Water Tests Clean After Jet Fuel Leak
The leak of jet fuel in Bucks County made big headlines, but the latest water testing confirms the impact has been small.
Testing in Lower Makefield, Falls Township, and Yardley Borough by Pennsylvania American Water officials found no hydrocarbon compounds in samples of its source water. Hydrocarbons are the main components of jet fuel.
“Pennsylvania American Water is pleased to reassure its customers in the Yardley area that the source water in their system shows no signs of contamination from this pipeline leak,” said Brandy Braun, director of water quality environmental compliance for Pennsylvania American Water. “We understand the anxiety associated with a situation such as this and are committed to providing peace of mind regarding the safety of their drinking water.”
A pipeline carrying jet fuel was found to have leaked in neighboring Upper Makefield, sending crowds of concerned citizens to pack public meetings. However, testing by a third-party contractor of 447 water samples found only six had chemical levels above safety standards.
Energy Transfer, which operates the pipeline that provides jet fuel to the Newark, N.J. airport, has installed full point-of-entry water treatment systems (POET) for the six wells that tested above the statewide health standard. It is also offering water testing at cost for the area.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection ordered the company to provide bottled water to residents impacted by the leak, a demand that Energy Transfer says is redundant.
“We want to reinforce that we have already committed to doing all this and more. We have been providing bottled water to impacted homeowners since this issue was first identified last month and will continue to do so. Additionally, the process of installing point-of-entry treatment systems for impacted homeowners is well underway. We will continue to cooperate with all appropriate parties as we work through the process of fully remediating this situation.”
The Twin Oaks pipeline leak was discovered on Jan. 31 in the Upper Makefield Township neighborhood of Mr. Eyre Manor. The site is approximately 7,700 feet from Pennsylvania American Water’s nearest well. The pipeline, which is owned by Energy Transfer/Sunoco, carried jet fuel from Delaware County to Newark, N.J.
“Aware of the concern of our customers and the community, Pennsylvania American Water will monitor our source water for any signs of contamination and retest those sources as warranted,” said Braun.
Elected officials continue to call for the pipeline to be shut down.
“This past Friday, I met with the residents of the Upper Makefield Task Force to continue our fight together in addressing this urgent community crisis,” Bucks County Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick posted on X.
“It has been over a month since the Sunoco Pipeline leak and our community still faces uncertainty. That’s unacceptable. I immediately renewed my call for PHMSA to shut this pipeline down. Until there’s undeniable proof it’s safe, it must stay offline—anything less is reckless and irresponsible.”
A meeting with Sunoco, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is scheduled for March 11 at 7:30 p.m. at The Crossing Church, 1895 Wrightstown Road, Washington Crossing.
American Water is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the U.S. and dates back to 1886. It provides drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water employs 6,700 people. Pennsylvania American Water is a subsidiary of American Water with about 2.4 million customers, officials said.
