This news report details a cleanup strategy proposed by Energy Transfer and Sunoco following a massive jet fuel leak that contaminated residential wells in Upper Makefield.

The companies plan to implement a 30-day trial of a multi-phase extraction system designed to remove hazardous vapors and pollutants from the local soil and groundwater.

During a public meeting, community members and local officials expressed significant anxiety regarding the ongoing safety of their drinking water and the logistical impact of the remediation machinery.

While residents advocated for a permanent connection to public water, the current proposal focuses on mechanical recovery and hauling away toxic fluids. State environmental regulators must still review and approve the effectiveness of this plan before it can be fully authorized.

[Source: Bucks County Herald, July 10, 2026]

Residents and officials in Upper Makefield recently confronted representatives from Energy Transfer and Sunoco regarding a Remedial Action Plan for a massive jet fuel leak.

Image: Kim Brunnquell came to the podium with a tube covered in plastic. When she unwrapped the canister-shaped filter, she said it had been white when installed at her home three months ago. It was supposed to last a year but the contaminants it was filtering out of her well water had already stained it almost black.

While the companies proposed a multiphase extraction project to remove thousands of gallons of contaminants, local leaders criticized the report for failing to provide a permanent alternative water supply for those with polluted wells.

Community members expressed deep frustration over the slow pace of recovery and the continued reliance on temporary filtration systems that are quickly overwhelmed by fuel. In response to the crisis, state and federal legislators are advocating for stricter pipeline safety laws and increased independent oversight of the environmental cleanup. 

On July 8, 2026, Sunoco Pipeline LP (SPLP), an Energy Transfer partnership, held a public meeting to present its Remedial Action Plan (RAP) concerning a jet fuel leak in the Mt. Eyre Manor neighborhood of Upper Makefield Township, Pennsylvania. The leak, discovered in February 2025 from the Twin Oaks-Newark 14-inch diameter pipeline, resulted in an estimated release of 6,500 gallons of jet fuel into the local soil and fractured bedrock.

Listen to this informative podcast summary...

This is my personal summary of the April 9, 2025, meeting of the #NewtownPA Township Board of Supervisors (BOS). This is not a complete nor an official summary.

AGENDA included:  Consider payment of the April 9, 2025 bills list in the amount of $379,682.15 and transfers in the amount of $579,351.90 (see 9 April 2025 Bills List); Land Development: Durham Investment, LP, 413 Durham Road – Preliminary/Final Land Development (read “Planned Day Care & Medical Buildings on Durham Road in #NewtownPA Raises Traffic Concerns”); Solicitor Report: Consider authorizing Solicitor to sign Real Estate Tax Assessment Appeal Settlement Stipulations for Pembroke Brandywine, LLC, MCD 3, LLC, and 5 settlements for Newtown Vlg Plz Assoc. LP (BRIXMOR SHOPPING CENTER; refer to the 28 March 2025 Settlement MEMO); March 2025 Police Report (highlights presented by Chief Hearn); Appointment of Foster Digital for AV production services (read “#NewtownPA Posts Request For Qualifications (RFQ) for Video Production Services”).

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Upper Makefield residents are suing the pipeline operators after an undetected crack leaked jet fuel into their private wells, contaminating at least 12.

The complaint, which was filed March 27, accuses pipeline operator Sunoco LP and its parent company, Energy Transfer, of negligence. Plaintiffs alleged that the companies failed to properly maintain the 70-year-old pipeline, identify leaks and investigate potential damage.

Following the leak in the Mount Eyre Road neighborhood, which the companies apparently did not detect for at least 16 months, 12 homes have tested positive for chemicals related to jet fuel, including benzene.

Although residents of the Mount Eyre Road neighborhood reported an unusual odor in their water as early as September 2023, the pipeline operators failed to detect a leak, and additional residents reported water taste and smell changes in 2024.

In 2023, the pipeline companies dug just yards away from where the leak was ultimately discovered*, but they didn't find the leak until January 2025 after consulting service records and digging at the location of a 1990s dent repair.

This is the video recording of the 3/25/25 Meet Make Tuesday Zoom meeting. It includes the Powerpoint presentation and the following Q&A and comments from the attendees.

Topics included Newtown Sewer Treatment Plant Decision, UM Sunoco Pipeline Fuel Leak, Meadow Conversion Project, Pedestrian Safety Updates, 2025 Liquid Fuels Road Repaving Program, Why Are Our Electricity (and Gas) Bills So High?, Update on Plan for a Public Mural, more…

Download the PPT notes with more details and links to background and related information: https://rebrand.ly/25Mar2025_MMT_PPT

[From Bucks County Courier Times; March 6, 2025]

Some Upper Makefield residents wonder if the catastrophic floods that inundated parts of the township in 2023 affected flow of jet fuel into their wells after a leak was recently discovered from a Sunoco pipeline in a neighborhood off of Mt. Eyre Road.

The leak from a 2.5-inch crack in a petroleum pipeline under a Glenwood Drive property, described as a 'slow drip' by pipeline company officials, was discovered in January, but nearby residents reported smelling and tasting gas in their water as early as September 2023 — two months after a torrential flash flood brought six inches of rain to the area in two hours.

Severe flooding can affect pipelines, according to federal regulators. Residents at a public meeting in late February questioned whether the flood could’ve led to the jet fuel entering their private wells.

Rain also affects how far a liquid can spread through the soil, said Karen Ogden, a watershed specialist for the Bucks County Conservation District. While dry conditions may leave the jet fuel to pool around the leak, wet weather allows the petroleum to travel farther [as far as the Newtown Artesian Water wells as shown in image?}.

See map of the spill...

The Agenda

• BOS Tells NBCJMA to “ABANDON” Plans for a Sewer Treatment Plant in Newtown Township
• Residents Demand Sunoco Jet Fuel Pipeline Be Shut Down
• Pedestrian Safety – PennDOT Approves Use of Grant Money for Newtown-Yardley Rd Sidewalk
• Newtown Township Seeking New Service Providers
• Recent Past & Upcoming Township Meeting News
• 2025 Municipal Elections: There Will Be Two New Newtown BOS Members. Who are the Candidate?? What Are the Issues?
• Privilege of the Floor – Whatever else is on your mind

Date & Time: February 25, 2025, starting at 7:00 PM

Login info: https://rebrand.ly/25Feb25_MMT_Reminder 

A pipeline leak in the township tainted water in six wells. A preliminary federal investigation found it was undetected for at least 16 months.

Upper Makefield Township residents affected by a pipeline leak that tainted the water of six wells with jet fuel continued to question pipeline operator Sunoco and its parent company Energy Transfer at a meeting Thursday (Feb 13, 2025) night.

According to Sunoco, as of Thursday, the third-party water testing company they hired has performed 127 water tests and received results for 92. Six of the 92 results contained hydrocarbons, a toxic chemical, above statewide standards. An additional 102 tests are scheduled or in the process of being scheduled.

Local and state elected officials sided with residents demanding the pipeline be shut down until an investigation into the leak is complete.

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