Gasoline in the Water in Kensington?
A friend who lives in Kensington sent us these photos last night and told us that around 10 pm, she got home and found her water contaminated with gasoline. A fireman she spoke to said that someone may have dumped it into the sewers. Firetrucks came to her block as well (see a photo after…
A friend who lives in Kensington sent us these photos last night and told us that around 10 pm, she got home and found her water contaminated with gasoline. A fireman she spoke to said that someone may have dumped it into the sewers. Firetrucks came to her block as well (see a photo after the jump), near Dahill Road and Clara Street. Is anyone else who lives in Kensington having this problem?
UPDATE: A spokesman from NYC Department of Environmental Protection tells us that it’s not possible for anything in the sewers to end up in the drinking water, because the water supply is a closed, pressurized system that carries clean drinking water from the Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers. He added that the fastest way to get rid of any discolored water is to run your taps. The water may be discolored because of a change in the flow, or because firefighters were running a firehose. The DEP plans to send someone to the area to investigate the water. Our tipster who lives on the block said the water smelled like gasoline, as did the block.
A couple of questions:
1. Was the FDNY responding to a complaint of gasoline in the air/water made through 911, or were they there for another reason? Air/ water complaints should be made through 311.
2. Did the FDNY open any fire hydrants to try to resolve a perception of gasoline in the drinking water, or to disperse the smell of gasoline which may have been discarded in the sewer? Opening hydrants will definitely cause dirty water in the surrounding residences, especially if the hydrants were opened at high velocity.
As on commenter posted, logic dictates that the gasoline could not possibly get into the water main if dumped into the sewer as the water main is highly pressurized. So the gasoline smell must have been in the air, and when you then stick your nose in the glass of dirty water, of course you may smell gasoline. In my humble opinion.
This story is inflammatory
ok, so everything smelled like gasoline, so of course the water seemed to smell too. Most likely there was some gasoline spill, at one of the nearby gas stations, the smell traveled, and separately there was something that caused the water to be discolored. I’d bet the water tests fine.. anyway if there was gasoline in the water it would travel to the surface, which doesn’t look like it.
I live a few blocks north of this. The whole block smelled like gasoline. We could smell it in the house.
If a person smells gasoline in the water, do not drink it and call 311. Calling 911 will elicit an immediate response from fire or police, but will not direct the appropriate City personnel to the issue.
it’s rusty… better stick to beer