Picton issues precautionary boil water advisory after barge fuel leak.
Prince Edward County is warning residents to boil their water after fuel spilled from a partially submerged barge was detected in a sampling line at the Picton-Bloomfield drinking water plant.
On Tuesday night, Prince Edward County’s mayor declared a state of emergency because contaminants leaking from the barge were floating close to a water intake pipe.
He emphasized that the boil water advisory is precautionary and contaminants have not entered the water intake system.
The sampling line, municipal officials assured residents, is a "warning system."
Treating fuel-tainted water complicated Since finding out about the leak, the county has been contacting other communities and spill experts to come up with a plan for how to deal with treated affected water.
Officials have sent samples of the water out for testing and McAuley expects to see the plant restarted in "days, not weeks."
If the community gets the all clear, it’s possible the boil water advisory could be lifted over the weekend.
In the event fuel-tainted water does contaminate the system, McAuley said he can only speculate how it would affect the decades-old treatment plant.
Crews work to lift barge The Canadian Coast Guard has been using a variety of equipment to control the fuel leak, including vacuum trucks and absorbents.