Newtown Artesian Water Company's Response to Cyanide Dumping Issue

As you may know, it was recently reported in Newtown Patch (February 14, 2018) and other local news outlets that a Merck chemist allegedly stole potassium cyanide – a highly toxic chemical – and dumped it down a public stormwater inlet in the area of County Line and Street roads, between Easton Road and Second Street Pike. Depending on where the chemical was allegedly dumped, it would've been discharged to either Neshaminy Creek or Pennypack Creek, police said. This happened in December, 2017. Read more about it here.

Many people have commented online that authorities should have warned them sooner. "So if this happened on December 15 why are we just now hearing about this?," said one commentator.

I spoke to Daniel Angove, Assistant General Manager at the Newtown Artesian Water Company, who assured me that this was never a threat to Newtown’s water supply because the company purchases water north (upstream) from where the chemical was dumped

“There never was concern about our water,” said Angove, “and if there was, our customers would be the first ones to know.”

He went on to explain that the company has a reverse 911 system for immediate threats. This would place a call to everyone who has their information in the system. If it were a less serious, localized problem, the company would hang information on doors in the affected neighborhoods as well as use news outlets and social media to notify people. “People would know and they wouldn’t have to wait and learn about it in Newtown Patch” weeks afterward, said Mr. Angove.

I'm not sure what "social media" Angove is talking about. There are no social media links on the company's website and very few posts - none recent - on its Facebook page.

Mr. Angrove told me that he was willing to come before the Newtown Board of Supervisors on an annual basis to give a status on the water system. Recall that upon the request of the Newtown Board of Supervisors, Mr. Angove reported on the quality of water and concerns of carcinogens based on a newspaper article published in the August 4, 2017, issue of the Bucks County Courier Times. Mr. Angove discounted an independent study that found 7 carcinogens - including chromium-6 that was featured in the movie "Erin Brockovich" - in Newtown's water. Read more about that here.

Posted on 15 Feb 2018, 15:47 - Category: Environment