You may be owed $25 from last year’s chemical spill in the Delaware River

When thousands of gallons of chemicals spilled into the Delaware River last year, it led to panic-buying of bottled water across the Philadelphia region. Now, those who bought water due to public notices asking residents to avoid drinking tap water, may be eligible for a $25 payout.

Late on a Friday night last March, an “equipment failure” at the Trinseo Altuglas chemical plant in Bristol dumped more than 8,000 gallons of latex solution into a Delaware River tributary that flows into a Philadelphia water processing plant.

That weekend, a public notice advised residents to avoid drinking tap water and to switch to bottled water to avoid contamination. A wave of panic-buying ensued at Acme, Wawa, Giant, ShopRite, Fresh Grocer, and Rite Aid. At neighborhood markets, some business owners were ordering four times their usual amount of water.

It wasn’t until the following Tuesday evening that then-Mayor Jim Kenney declared the city’s water safe to drink.

The city maintains that no contaminants were found in Philadelphia water systems. According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, due to the latex solution being diluted in water, the risk of direct exposure to the chemicals remained relatively low. “Currently, there are not any known long-term effects of these chemicals,” the organization noted.

Soon after, a class-action lawsuit (docket number 240100060) was filed against the chemical plant for economic damages incurred by local residents and businesses impacted by the chemical spill. A settlement of $2.7 million has been reached.

Here’s how to claim $25 or more from the Delaware River chemical spill class-action lawsuit.

The first step is to visit phillywatersettlement.com. Here, read over a summary of the settlement, get answers to frequently asked questions, and submit a claim to get your $25, if eligible.

To file a claim online, click on the “Submit Claim” tab at the top of the page or visit phillywatersettlement.com/submit-claim. The claim form can also be download and mailed to: Settlement Administrator, 1650 Arch St., Suite 2210, Philadelphia, Pa. 19103.

If you’ve already been mailed a notice with a Notice ID and Confirmation Code, use that information on the webpage’s log-in screen. If no notice was received, you can start a claim application on the same page.

Proof of residence in an area affected by the chemical spill is required. Acceptable documents include a driver’s license, lease agreement, mortgage, utility bill, credit card statement, deed, pay stub, or insurance bill showing residence at the time.

To collect the base payout of $25, no supporting documentation of economic loss, such as receipts or income statements, is necessary.

To claim additional money, supporting documentation that proves economic loss due to the chemical spill is required. This includes receipts for buying bottled water, transportation costs, or business interruption losses. Acceptable documents include receipts, invoices, checks, credit card statements, expense records, or business income and revenue statements showing economic loss.

Anyone or any business that suffered economic loss due to the chemical spill, including panic-buying water.

Those who resided in the ZIP codes listed below may be eligible for a payout:

Aug. 16, 2024, at 11:59:59 p.m.

The base payout is $25. However, if documentation proving additional economic loss is provided, more can be received.

The wheels of justice turn slowly. The settlement payments will only be sent out once the settlement agreement is approved, so there’s no definitive “pay out date.”

A final approval hearing will take place on Sept. 23, 2024, but there can be appeals to the ruling.

Check phillywatersettlement.com for updates.