The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection found cyanide in the Tookany Creek via samples taken downstream from the SPS facility and at the Greenwood Avenue Bridge in Jenkintown last Tuesday and Wednesday, according to an update published this week.

Testing showed cyanide levels in the waterway declining and did not detect any cyanide where the creek meets the Delaware River.

“There is no risk to drinking water,” a statement from the DEP read, noting that SPS is working to prevent any more water used to put out the fire from entering Tookany Creek by pumping it into holding tanks and treating it in an on-site wastewater treatment facility.

From the statement:

Water Quality

Drinking water supplies are not at risk. Samples taken from the confluence with the Delaware River did not detect any chemicals of concern.DEP and Philadelphia Water Department continue to monitor the creek and river.

DEP and the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) have conducted initial sampling of Tookany Creek; preliminary samples collected by DEP indicated low levels of chemicals of concern were found in the creek immediately downstream of the fire. DEP re-sampled the creek on February 19, 2025; testing will be ongoing for as long as needed and DEP will provide updates as testing occurs.

There are no drinking water intakes from Tookany Creek downstream of the fire. The nearest drinking water intake is several miles upstream of the confluence of Tookany Creek and the Delaware River. PWD is monitoring the situation and will take action if necessary.

Tookany Creek Sampling Results:

DEP analyzed water samples from Tookany Creek for Total Cyanide and Weak Acid Dissociable Cyanide. DEP analyzed for these compounds to establish if there was an immediate risk to surface water. Sample locations were chosen to have a comparison between unaffected surface water and monitor water entering the Delaware River. Levels below 0.01 mg/l cannot be detected.

Samples from Tuesday, February 18 were collected in the immediate aftermath of the fire and any runoff of fire water to the creek. Samples from Wednesday, February 19 show a sharp dropoff in any contaminants of concern. Again, there are no drinking water intakes downstream of the fire.

Based on the results of sampling by both DEP and its partners, DEP has determined that there is no risk to drinking water. DEP continues to work closely on water quality with the City of Philadelphia, which is conducting its own sampling on the Delaware River.

Kelly Good, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Villanova University, told WHYY that while cyanide levels found in the sampling sites seem high compared to state standards for protecting aquatic life, those standards “are meant for a specific, particularly toxic category of cyanide known as “free cyanide” — not the broader categories of cyanide that the DEP tested for.”

“So it makes it hard to make a determination,” Good told WHYY.

The article notes that Tookany Creek is not used for drinking water, and Philadelphia’s drinking water intake along the Delaware River is located upstream from where the Tookany meets the Delaware.

Tom McAneney, Edge Hill Fire Company Chief and Director of Fire and Code Services at Abington Township, served as emergency management coordinator during the incident. Regarding public safety in the aftermath, he told Glenside Local on Tuesday that “everything’s being done that can be done with the appropriate agencies.”

“The DEP, EPA, and hazmat were on site almost immediately with water monitoring. As the fire was under control, it transitioned to monitoring the facility and the neighborhood. Those results are being reviewed by the DEP and EPA to make sure everything’s been done right,” McAneney said. “We’re confident that everything’s being done. All of our firefighters live here as well. There’s no benefit for us to hide anything. Our families, friends, and neighbors all live here. We’re doing everything we can to protect it and ensure the safety of everyone.”

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