Henderson is taking steps to ensure the safety of drinking water as some pollutants move down the Ohio River.
Last week’s chemical spill in West Virginia’s Elk River West Virginia has water utilities downstream taking precautions. The plume is expected to reach Henderson Monday morning.
Henderson Water Utility is collecting data from monitoring stations along the Ohio River and staying in contact with upstream water utilities, including Evansville and Louisville. Treatment Manager Kevin Roberts says no decision has been made on whether to close intake valves.
“We haven’t made a definitive decision on that,” he said. “I can tell you that’s how we’re leaning. It would take substantial data to show that it’s not present at all for us to not take that route right now.”
A decision may not come until Sunday night, but the utility is working to build up the drinking water inventory just in case the intake valves are closed. Right now, contaminant levels in the Ohio River are below the threshold for any risk to the public.
