![]() ![]() There are 17 gas chromatographs (GCs) on the Ohio, Allegheny, Monongahela, Kanawha and Elk rivers. The Organics Detection System includes water utilities along the Ohio River to detect low levels of certain organic compounds at water intakes (where river water goes into utility storage tanks) and some tributaries (where some water flows into the river from creeks or other rivers). How do officials know if the Ohio River is contaminated? The EPA determines 560 parts per billion would be harmful. The highest concentration of butyl acrylate reported has been four parts per billion. No local samples have detected that chemical. No other chemicals that could be associated with the derailment have been detected locally, though some monitoring much farther up river by the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission detected small amounts of butyl acrylate, a chemical used in adhesives, in the water. ![]() Sampling of the Ohio River detected small amounts of a compound used in fragrances and flavorings called 2-Ethyl-1-hexaynol. It took a little over two weeks for that water to reach Cincinnati. Swertfeger says chemicals were first detected in the Ohio River Feb. It takes time for water to move down river. RELATED: 'Everybody is letting us down': East Palestine, residents demand answers after train derailment "Many counties in the map get their drinking water from other sources, experts said." "The map shows the region of land whose surface water drains into the Ohio River, not the region that gets its drinking water from the river," AP reported. The Associated Press investigated the claim going around on social media that anyone in the yellow area of the above map should be concerned about the safety of their drinking water. It's important to note that doesn't mean drinking water in that entire area could be affected. Wikimedia Commons A map of the Ohio River Watershed created using USGS data. "So most of Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, even getting into New York and Virginia itself - things that happen in those states eventually happened to us." "Our watershed covers about 77,000 square miles," Swertfeger said. 3, a train containing several cars with hazardous materials derailed near East Palestine, Ohio (near the Pennsylvania border).Īlthough East Palestine isn't very close to the Ohio River, it is part of the large Ohio River watershed. How did contaminants get into the Ohio River? Here are answers to some of the questions GCWW has been addressing over the past few weeks. RELATED: The EPA steps in to take over the East Palestine train derailment cleanup and making sure that we have the latest and greatest detection equipment," she said.Ĭouncil members say they have full confidence in GCWW and other local partners and feel no trepidation about drinking Cincinnati tap water themselves. "I think it highlights the importance of these systems and making sure that we continue to replace them when they're old. "And we'll be able to take similar precautions for those future threats from there."Īrnette says the local response to this derailment shows how well-prepared the region is for situations like this. "And if anything else gets into the water, we're confident that monitoring system will give us an early warning," said Water Quality Superintendent Jeff Swertfeger. In other words, GCWW testing would have caught the contamination even if they didn't step up testing when the train derailment in East Palestine happened earlier this month. "There's no other river system that has this kind of contaminant detection." "It's unique in the nation," Arnette said. RELATED: Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky reopen water intakes after closures There are 17 systems along the Ohio River's 981-mile length. "We run samples every two hours all the time, regardless of this incident or not," Arnette said. ![]() Interim Director Verna Arnette says the city's Organics Detection System monitoring point is part of a network all along the Ohio River. Greater Cincinnati Water Works outlined existing testing and treatment procedures for City Council's Climate, Environment and Infrastructure Committee in a special meeting Tuesday morning. The intakes are back open and officials say water has been safe to drink the entire time.Local water utilities briefly closed their intakes anyway, relying on reserve water while still testing.There are no detectable chemicals in this part of the Ohio River, although small amounts were detected upriver. ![]() Local officials say they're completely confident that Cincinnati's drinking water is safe despite low-levels of contamination upstream in the Ohio River. ![]()
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