MECKLENBURG COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has released real-time water monitoring results for the public to access in the aftermath of the South Hill warehouse fire.
As a result of runoff from water used to fight the Nutrien Ag warehouse fire that happened on Saturday, July 6, DEQ contractors have been conducting water quality testing. This has included collecting real-time measurements, storing water samples, and recording physical observations at sites near where the initial incident took place.
Concerned residents can visit this DEQ webpage which contains information for the public about the fire and its impact on the local community. The data presented on the webpage includes a list of the types of chemicals the agencies tested for, which ones were detected, and the levels of each that were found.
Although there is open access to this information, several terms associated with the data might not be familiar to the general public. Here is a guide to understanding the water monitoring results that have been gathered — and that will continue to be gathered — as the cleanup phase continues.
Publicly Available Data
The DEQ posted a real-time water monitoring data table that is accessible here. This table is updated as results and observations are processed and matches the data to collection sites on an attached interactive map.
The main data displayed in the table can be explained as follows:
- Temp C
- The temperature of the water is Celsius.
- pH
- pH levels — whether the water is more acidic or basic.
- The average pH range of American freshwater streams is 6.5-8, with anything below 6 being too acidic and anything above 9 being too basic for certain organisms. 7 is considered neutral.
- DO mg/L
- Dissolved oxygen — how much oxygen is present in the water.
- The DO range of freshwater streams considered healthy for fish is 6.5-8 mg/L, with anything below 6.5 mg/L potentially causing suffocation for organisms. Generally, fish cannot have too much oxygen. It is important to note that stagnant water has lower dissolved oxygen levels than moving water.
- SpC μs/cm
- Specific conductivity — how well the water conducts electricity.
- Rivers in the United States usually have a specific conductivity range of 50 to 1500 μs/cm. When SpC exceeds 1500, that can mean there are pollutants in the water causing it to hold an electric current better, and therefore it is not habitable for fish.
At the time of this reporting, the data displayed in the table was collected from July 7 through July 24, across multiple sites and streams, and it is important to note that increased rainfall throughout the area impacted the concentration of pollution available for testing.
Chemicals Tested and Detected
The surface water data is available in a table that can be downloaded using the link below. This spreadsheet displays the chemicals that the water was tested for, if they were detected, and the levels that were found.
Although chemicals may be listed as detected, there are set values for each chemical that determine whether or not the levels found pose a risk to public health and warrant removal action. These values are listed as screening values on the chart, but may also be referred to as comparison values or Regional Removal Management Levels (RMLs). The EPA also has stated that they have “the flexibility to determine that case-specific conditions do not warrant a removal action.”
Be sure to reference the second page of the spreadsheet — titled Glossary of Qualifiers — for further explanations of the results and any potential irregularities with the data.
The only chemical listed that exceeded its screening value was pentachlorophenol, which is a pesticide used primarily as a wood preservative. The site where it was found — a small creek on Sunset Lane in South Hill — was determined to be a place where recreation was not likely to occur. Pentachlorophenol is a toxic chemical and has been determined by the EPA to be a probable human carcinogen. For a full toxicological profile of pentachlorophenol, visit the CDC website.
If you have any questions about the chemicals listed in the spreadsheet above that were detected, you can use this toxic substance database to search for their toxicological profiles.
The emergency response to this incident and the cleanup response has been conducted by the DEQ, the Virginia Department of Health, the EPA, Nutrien Ag Solutions, the Town of South Hill, and multiple contractors.
If you believe you were exposed to harmful chemicals as a result of the South Hill fire, contact your local healthcare provider to get properly tested.
You can contact the DEQ with questions about the South Hill fire at this site.
