A leak in a 14-inch jet fuel pipeline has contaminated several residential water wells in Upper Makefield Township, which raised concerns among residents.
The leak, which occurred in the Mount Eyre neighborhood, was the focus of a packed Upper Makefield Township Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday night.
Residents from the Mount Eyre, Spencer Drive, and Glenwood Drive neighborhoods voiced their concerns.
Carl “Gus” Borkland, the emergency planning and security director for pipeline operator Energy Transfer, said Tuesday that at least six wells in the Glenwood Drive neighborhood have tested positive for jet fuel-related chemicals.
Of the six, four exceeded acceptable contaminant levels for drinking water, according to Energy Transfer officials.
While jet fuel was flowing through the pipeline at the time of the leak, Energy Transfer officials said other fuels could have been mixed in from previous runs.
Supervisor Tim Thomas, who lives near the leak site, said the township has no regulatory authority but is in communication with the agencies that do.
“We have a lot of questions,” Thomas said.
Energy Transfer has offered water testing to residents near the leak and is installing filtration systems on nearby wells. The company has also provided bottled water.
A company representative, Joe Massaro, apologized to residents this week, saying Energy Transfer has broken their trust.
Massaro said the company discovered a “slow drip” from the pipeline on Jan. 31.
The pipeline, which carries various refined petroleum products, was shut down, pressure tests were performed, checks were made for further loss, two investigative digs took place, and residential water wells were tested.
Energy Transfer hired a geologist and said it would share information with residents.
The company removed the damaged section of pipeline for testing, Massaro said.
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection geologist and official Lisa Strobridge said the state began receiving complaints of a petroleum smell on Jan. 9.
After those complaints came in, he the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection conducted a door-to-door survey and its staff also smelled the odors in some residences, Strobridge said.
An insurance company representing a homeowner living 1,000 feet from the pipeline did testing and located 15 inches of kerosene on the surface of the well water and traces of “petroleum,” on Jan. 21, Strobridge said.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and state officials are investigating the leak.
Massaro said the company is unsure how much fuel leaked.
Residents are calling for accountability and continued regular testing.
One resident said she lives down the street from the leak and was not contacted by the company.
Energy Transfer has faced scrutiny in the past for pipeline incidents.
In 2021, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, then led by now-Gov. Josh Shapiro, filed criminal charges against the company for a spill and leaks.
Upper Makefield Township will hold a public meeting Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Township Building at 1076 Eagle Road with state officials and Energy Transfer representatives. The company has set up a hotline for neighbors to report issues at 877-397-3383.
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