Pa. offers bottled water to residents near former military bases in Horsham, Warminster

    The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will supply bottled drinking water on an interim basis to residents with confirmed levels of perfluorinated chemicals in the area of the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove, former Naval Air Station Warminster and Air National Guard Horsham.

    “We are taking precautionary action to ensure all residents in the area are receiving water until we receive further guidance from the EPA on this matter,” said Gov. Tom Wolf.

    The former military bases in the area dispensed the hazardous compounds in the form of heavy-duty firefighting foam, which made its way into groundwater supply.

    The Navy has already disconnected more than 100 private wells that tested above the Environmental Protection Agency’s guidance level for the chemicals.

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    The drinking water for residents who will be receiving the bottled water is now below those levels.

    However, after conversations with Rep. Todd Stephens of Horsham, Wolf directed DEP to provide bottled water on an interim basis in anticipation of possible revised guidance from the EPA in the near future.

    The EPA says it will update its recommendation for what is a safe exposure level of some PFCs later this year, following several high profile cases of water contamination.

    Free bottled water will be available for pickup by residents of Horsham, Warrington and Warminster  at the Horsham Community Center, 1025 Horsham Road in Horsham. The water will be available Thursday until 6 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. DEP staff will be on hand both days to facilitate distribution. Residents will be provided with two cases of water per day.

     

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