MEDIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Delaware County apartment complex is without drinking water, after a water main broke two weeks ago.
More than 200 residents are using bottled water until tests are completed.
Energy Transfer, the parent company of the Mariner East Pipeline, was drilling between two buildings at the Glen Riddle Station Apartments shortly before the water main broke on May 25.
"They did not appear to strike it, but it was the construction (and) the equipment rolling over it. It's a pretty shallow pipe, and it's 50 years old," said Lora Snyder with DelChesco United, an environmental group monitoring the Mariner East project.
"They also were pouring a lot of cement and flowable fill on this area. We think that expanded, and then probably touched this pipe and burst it.”
Energy Transfer said the pipe failure happened outside its work site. But ET agreed to provide pallets of bottled water and two portable toilets to the apartments until repairs were made and water was turned back on.
Aqua PA tested the water and found no bacteria, but Glen Riddle management is asking for more testing to determine if contaminants from Mariner East are in the water.
"They have water now for bathing, showering," said Snyder.
"They are still being told, I believe, not to drink the water yet, because they're waiting for final testing results to come back.
Aqua PA said tests are being processed and are expected back “soon.”
The Department of Environmental Protection says it has not issued any enforcement actions related to the incident and cannot comment on possible future enforcement actions.