Free Bottled Water Now Available To Warminster Residents Near Former Navy Base

UPDATE Aug. 31: Free bottled drinking water is no longer being offered to residents. This article has since expired.

Original story May 20:

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced this week it will supply free bottled drinking water on an interim basis to residents near the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base who have contaminated water.

Drinking water for these residents is currently below the EPA's current provisional Health Advisory levels but as a "precautionary action," residents with confirmed levels of perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in Warminster and Horsham will be eligible for the bottled water.

“We are taking precautionary action to ensure all residents in the area are receiving water until we receive further guidance from the EPA on this matter,” Governor Tom Wolf said.

Free bottled water was made available for pickup by residents of Horsham, Warrington and Warminster beginning at noon Friday at the Horsham Community Center, located at 1025 Horsham Road, Horsham.

Bottled water will be available Friday from 9:00-6:00 and DEP staff will be on hand both days to facilitate distribution. Residents will be provided with 2 cases of water per day.

Bottled water is available to residents on public water systems and private wells that have tested below the PHAL levels for PFOS/PFOA but still detect the chemicals.

Residents whose private wells are contaminated above the PHALs (0.2 ppb for perfluorooctane sulphonate or PFOS and 0.4 ppb for perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOA) are currently supplied with bottled water by the U.S. Navy and Air National Guard, authorities said.