Is Cleveland’s Drinking Water Safe?

The Cleveland Water Department issued a tweet initiated by several inquiries about whether there’s any concern for Cleveland’s water quality following the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

Your drinking water remains safe.

Cleveland Water gets drinking water from Lake Erie. The Lake and its watershed are separate from the Ohio River and its watershed. There is no indication that Lake Erie or its watershed has been impacted by the train derailment in East Palestine. The testing that is regularly performed would catch any changes to our source water, should any arise.

However, the Ohio river travels from Pittsburgh south to Kentucky through Cincinnati.

Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) detached the compound upstream and officials have closed the intake. Officials are continuing to monitor the chemical contaminants traveling down the Ohio River following the train derailment in East Palestine.

“We’re doing everything we can to make sure the water is safe,” said Jeff Swertfeger, GCWW superintendent of water quality. “Our intakes are shut down right now. . .to allow that chemical to go by in the river, and then we don’t even bring it into the plant.”

Source:  WLWT Digital Staff and Danielle Dindak