HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Experts with the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) have been constantly testing for chemicals at sites along the Ohio River since a train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio.

What You Need To Know

  • Experts say spillage from the trail derailment in East Palestine will arrive in Kentucky along the Ohio River within the next few days

  • The Northern Kentucky Water District will close off its Ohio River water intakes out of precaution

  • An environmental scientist at NKU says any chemicals from the spill will be highly diluted by the time they reach the region

  • ORSANCO's director says people don't need to worry about drinking water

ORSANCO says people shouldn’t be scared to drink their water as the spillage makes its way through Kentucky. Water utilities, though, are still taking necessary precautions.

As the director of the Environmental Science Program at Northern Kentucky University, Kristy Hopfensperger spends a lot of time working with water. Many people have a lot of questions about their water following the derailment. Hopfensperger provided some answers.

“The chemicals that would be from the spill, that water hasn’t made it to us yet,” she said.

That’s projected to happen in the next few days as a plume of remnants travels along the Ohio River.

The main contaminant scientists with ORSANCO are tracking is butyl acrylate, a clear liquid with a pungent odor which can cause irritation in the eyes and skin, as well as breathing difficulties.

That may sound scary, but Hopfensperger put it in context.

“It’s traveled such a distance that the chemicals both degrade, but also are diluted by the amount of water in the Ohio River,” she said. “The chemicals will be at such low amounts by the time they reach the Cincinnati region, that the water facilities, the treatment facilities, and their technology will be able to clean the water appropriately before sending it to our homes.”

ORSANCO Executive Director Richard Harrison said Kentuckians shouldn’t be overly concerned about butyl acrylate in their water.

“We have a health advisory number for it, provisional. That’s 560 parts per billion. So when we’re measuring levels as high as 12 parts per billion, but now below one part per billion, it gives us a lot of confidence that this is not a health risk,” Harrison said. “I am not hesitating to drink Northern Kentucky water, or greater Cincinnati water.”

The Northern Kentucky Water District said it would shut down its Ohio River intakes as a precautionary measure, and switch to reservoirs. The district said state-of-the-art treatment processes of powdered activated carbon and granular activated carbon will serve as additional protective barriers.

Hopfensperger said it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.

“With a toxin, zero is always best,” she said.

A result from the spill Hopfensperger said she’d like to see is a shift to more sustainable products to reduce dependency on harmful chemicals.

Another chemical ORSANCO is tracking is vinyl chloride, a carcinogenic gas. Harrison said no tests have shown the chemical at any detectable levels thus far.

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