By Brenna Angel
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wuky/local-wuky-952557.mp3
WHITESBURG, Ky. – Residents of Letcher County in far eastern Kentucky can safely resume using tap water after a no-contact consumer advisory was lifted Tuesday afternoon. The investigation continues into what led to Saturday's oil spill that left hundreds of eastern Kentucky residents with contaminated tap water.
The Whitesburg water treatment plant in Letcher County is located on the north fork of the Kentucky River, about a half-mile downstream from Childers Oil. Allison Fleck with the Kentucky Division of Water says a carbon filter at the plant could have reduced the contamination stemming from a faulty diesel storage tank.
"It was not being used at the time that the raw water was drawn from the contaminated source and worked through the plant. The fuel was detected by consumers. There was an oily smell to the finished water as it came out of the tap, which is how this was discovered."
Some 1,300 water customers were affected, forced to use bottled water for drinking, bathing, and cooking. An environmental response team determined that water was again safe to drink three days after the spill. Samples showed the diesel contaminant below 50 parts-per-billion.
Fleck says Whitesburg Water Works will continue to monitor its water intake and the storage system at Childers Oil is undergoing a detailed review. Childers Oil was also responsible for two other diesel spills in recent years that contaminated the Whitesburg water supply.