The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is recommending that anyone who has purchased Poland Spring 3- or 5- gallon water bottles check them for gasoline odors before using. Clean water should not have any type of chemical smell; it is odorless.
After Hurricane Sandy, when gasoline shortages were reported in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, some people used large water bottles to hold gasoline. Bottled water companies have since detected returned and recycled water bottles with gasoline residue and fumes. The companies have measures in place to remove those bottles from reuse, but a “very small number” of contaminated bottles did make it through the detection process.
Those levels of gasoline are “not likely to result in long-term health effects” according to the alert. DHHS is working with the FDA and other New England states on this issue. Dr. José Montero, Director of Public Health Services said in a statement, “this contamination is not thought to be a widespread problem, but we want to remind consumers taht they should use their 3- or 5-gallon water bottles only for drinking water. Of course during a disaster we need to do what is necessary to go on, but contaminated water bottles should be discarded.”
If you do find an odor of any kind in a water bottle, do not drink that water or use it. Call your bottled water provider to get a replacement. Bottled water that is not in 3-gallon or 5-gallon containers is not affected by this issue. For questions and more information, call 603-271-4589.
