Acadia water recall: All you need to know in wake of Ohio contamination

All the gallon-sized jugs of Acadia Spring Water are being recalled by the major New Jersey supermarket chain Stop & Shop over contamination concerns. The supermarket store chain is taking the steps as an abundance of caution against the release of hazardous chemicals in the soil following the East Palestine Train Derailment.

On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals was met with an accident causing the train to be derailed. The train soon caught fire, resulting in the release of toxic chemicals into the air and soil of the area.

The freight train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, carried several hazardous chemicals, including Vinyl chloride, a known cancer-causing chemical. In a bid to avoid a massive explosion, fire crews present at the site of the incident were forced to release and burn off the toxic chemical.

The release of hazardous chemicals into the environment has left the communities in the area upended. Officials and agencies have been making continuous clean-up efforts to bring the situation under control. Multiple tests, including soil and water tests, are being conducted regularly to assess traces of hazardous substances in the region.

Following the incident, customers across the country have been skeptical about the purified and/or spring water that is bottled in proximity to the location of the incident. Several stores and companies, including Giant Eagle, have already recalled all the water bottles that were bottled in proximity to the East Palestine region.

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Sampling tests conducted by Acadia Spring Water company have not shown any signs of contamination

The Acadia Spring Water company is one of the top spring water distributors in the New Jersey region. The bottled water company distributes its bottled water to wholesalers, supermarkets, and convenience stores in New Jersey and other nearby regions. Apart from the New Jersey-based supermarket chain Stop & Shop, another supermarket chain from Pennsylvania has also announced a recall of the potentially contaminated bottled spring water.

Considering that the company sources water from springs in Columbian County (about 20 miles from the derailment), the concerns about the water being potentially contaminated with hazardous chemicals cannot be overlooked. As a precautionary measure, the supermarket chain has decided to discontinue the sale of all water bottles produced in the Columbian County facility.

Acadia Spring Water is sourced from a facility that is nearly 20 miles from the location of the incident in East Palestine, Ohio (Image via Stop & Shop)

The discontinuation and/or recall of the bottled Acadia spring water only affects gallon-size-or-greater bottles, as these were the only bottles that were said to be sourced from Columbian County. Stop & Shop has said that sampling and water tests conducted by the company have not shown any signs of contamination, but the recalled bottles won't be returning to stores.

Customers who may have already bought the gallon-sized or greater bottles of Acadia Spring Water are strictly advised to refrain from consuming the water. The recalled bottled water can be returned to the store of purchase for a full refund.

Investigations into the cause behind the derailment are ongoing, and confirmed results are expected to come in due time. However, preliminary data has been indicating the incident to be caused by a mechanical failure.