A CBS report report said on Tuesday morning that up to 12,000 gallons of a latex emulsion product spilled into the Delaware River from plant operated by the company Trinseo Altuglas LLC, which manufactures acrylic resins. The chemical, according to the company, is made up of 50% water and 50% latex polymer.
The Philadelphia Water Department, according to the report, said that 40 tests of the city's water supply conducted on Monday have come out negative. Initially, city officials said the water would be safe to consume until Wednesday night, but they later determined that it would be safe indefinitely.
The city expects the remnants of the spill to pass the city's water treatment plant no later than Thursday, the report said.
Local stores have run low on supply of water bottles following the spill, which has local residents worried about potential long-term health effects. Residents have expressed their doubts about the government's claim that the water is safe to drink.
When announcing that the water would be considered safe indefinitely, Philadelphia officials said that the "threat has passed" and that the city's drinking water will not be affected by the chemical spill.
"We can all confidentially say the threat has passed - I repeat: All the city's drinking water is safe to drink and will not be impacted by the spill," Mayor Jim Kenney said Tuesday night.