Ending the crisis for a fraction of the 300,000 people who were told not to drink, wash or cook with water following a chemical spill, the ban on tap water for a part of West Virginia was lifted Monday. Governor Earl Tomblin made the announcement at a news conference, five days after people were told to use the water only to flush their toilets. “The numbers we have today look good and we are finally at a point where the ‘do not use’ order has been lifted,” he said.
Officials are lifting the ban in a strict, methodical manner to help ensure the water system was not overwhelmed by excessive demand which would cause more water quality problems. Customers are being cautioned to flush out their systems before using the water again and that the water may still have an odor, but they said it was safe.
About 6,000 to 10,000 customers were allowed to use the water again Monday and it could still be days before the entire water system is cleared, West Virginia American Water President Jeff McIntyre said. “It’s a complex system,” he added.
The first area to be allowed to use water is downtown Charleston, the state capital and its largest city. Restaurants, day-care centers and schools have been closed during the emergency. Schools Superintendent James Phares said he hoped the largest two school systems could reopen Tuesday but cautioned, “We’re not going to be rushing them back to school if it’s not safe.”
Federal authorities, including the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, opened an investigation into the spill where the chemical was spilled into the Elk River. Tests have shown that levels were consistently below a toxic threshold and in some samples there was no trace of the chemical at all. Officials were also keeping a close eye on water downstream to make sure there is no further impact. There have been no reports that wildlife, pets or aquatic life have been affected. The chemical, even in its most concentrated form, is not deadly but people were told they shouldn’t even wash they clothes in affected water as the compound can cause symptoms ranging from skin irritation and rashes to vomiting and diarrhea.
The company involved, Freedom Industries, said it removed the remaining chemical from the site and took it elsewhere and the removal of other chemicals was ongoing. Company president Gary Southern held a brief news conference Friday night but otherwise company officials have declined to comment. “We have mitigated the risk, we believe, in terms of further material leaving this facility,” he said in that conference.
