The city of Salem, Ore. has resorted to its backup water supply after a spill of roughly 11,600 gal of unleaded gasoline was released into the North Santiam River, the main source of drinking water for the city of Salem and several surrounding municipalities.
The spill occurred after a semi-tanker flipped due to hitting a patch of ice. The tanker subsequently caught fire, burning some of the fuel but spilling the rest.
The city provides drinking water for roughly 192,000 individuals across several cities. According to Salem Public Works spokeswoman Heather Dimke, the city possesses enough reserve water to sufficiently provide drinking water for several days while the problem is resolved.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) analyzed air and water samples along the river the day following.
