UPPER MAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Crews are installing recovery wells in a Bucks County neighborhood that has been dealing with contaminated water from a pipeline that leaked jet fuel into the groundwater.
The focus is on the Mount Eyre section of Upper Makefield Township. Energy Transfer, the parent company of Sunoco, said the two recovery wells will collect groundwater, and crews will be then able to remove contaminants from it — potentially jet fuel, gasoline and diesel.
At the end of January, the company acknowledged that fuel from a 14-inch pipeline leaked and six private wells were contaminated. Many residents, however, said that they smelled a fuel odor as far back as September 2023.
Residents have been demanding answers from Energy Transfer and expressed concerns at several public meetings that have taken place since the leak was confirmed. They said they wonder how long their water has been contaminated and worry about potential long-term health effects.
In response, water treatment systems have been installed at 42 homes, with around 100 more expected, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Earlier this month, the state also ordered Energy Transfer to distribute bottled water to affected residents.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office has opened a criminal investigation.