Bucks Co. residents demand shutdown of jet fuel pipeline after drinking water contaminated

UPPER MAKEFIELD TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- A community in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is outraged over contaminated drinking water and has garnered support from local, state and federal lawmakers in calls to shut down a jet fuel pipeline for further investigation.

The Sunoco Twin Oak-Newark Pipeline is operated by Energy Transfer and spans more than 100 miles from Philadelphia to Newark, New Jersey.

Several Washington Crossing residents in Upper Makefield Township said they can smell and taste gasoline in their well water and have been using bottled water to cook with and drink.

"We're somewhat traumatized by it. We'll never drink the water in that house again," said Kristine Wojnovich, a Washington Crossing resident. "Once you have gasoline coming out of your faucet, you won't drink it again."

Residents have created a community group and have gained more than 1,200 signatures on a Change.org petition for the pipeline to be shut down . They've also held regular meetings to voice and document their concerns.

Energy Transfer confirmed a leak last month, but residents said they've been reporting the issue since 2023.

The pipeline was briefly shut down, but is now back up and running.

Wojnovich said her worst fears were confirmed when pipeline inspectors opened several wells in her neighborhood.

"They opened it like two weeks ago. There was over 12 feet of jet fuel on the top of the well sitting there that's been gathering there since 2023," said Wojnovich.

Residents are demanding better leak detection technology on the roughly 70-year-old pipeline.

"I feel like this pipeline, it runs through several counties, is not safe," Wojnovich said. "They have it on two days after they made the repair without knowing if there are any other leaks and there's no way for them to know if there are other leaks. They said themselves."

Energy Transfer officials were under fire at a community meeting Thursday night in Newtown to answer questions about the company's response to the situation.

"The company is moving forward with this investigation to try to get those answers," said Energy Transfer representative Joe McGinn.

Action News has learned that the agency with the authority to shut it down is the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), which is under the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, Senator John Fetterman and state lawmakers have written letters to PHMSA to temporarily shut down the pipeline until the full scope of the leak can be determined.