Incident Description: Ongoing consequences of Freedom Industries leak of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol into the Elk River. ... (Appalachian Waterwatch has been calling this chemical by an abbreviated name that is incorrect. Please correct for the sake of accuracy and credibility.) ... Upper respiratory distress from fumes, intial exposure in our case presumably via tap water entering the humidifier attached to furnace; no mention of that was made in any public announcements, and we overlooked this possible consequence until the day we first flushed 1-14-2014. Subsequent exposures 1) during recommended flushing of the home water system (until I opened windows and turned on the attic fan to ventilate the house), and 2) by showering in hot water after official clearance was given to flush our homes and consider the water safe for all uses. We've since learned that MCHM's boiling point is lower than the boiling point of water, so that it may be expelled as gas as we use our hot water -- or as the water is heated when the furnace picks it up from the humidifier. For a few days I experienced a mild burning/itching sensation and reddened skin after washing hands and showering. My wife, who did not shower here and was not present during this or subsequent flushing operations, was unaffected. The respiratory damage is our biggest concern by far, because it has not diminished with diminished use of the water. Almost a month after the spill, I can report little if any smell in our water but significant ongoing respiratory discomfort. Because public recommendations were made without real knowledge of the substance or its possible effects on humans, we don't foresee drinking this water, cooking with it or using it for food preparation for a long time. In our home, we began noticing significant deposits of *something* in our toilet bowls roughly three to four months before this spill was made public on 1-9-2014. These unknown deposits scrubbed off easily, and we suspect but can't confirm a connection with this leak which may have been ongoing well before the catastrophic failure on January 9.

Incident Description: Caller reports that her water still smells like MCHM. The smell was gradually getting better over the last few weeks, but got stronger again last Thursday or Friday. The caller used the water to her teeth and then got several mouth ulcers. She is unsure if the ulcers are directly related, but says she does not normally get them. She also noted that there is no water distribution in her area and several of the nearby grocery stores are out of bottled water.

Incident Description: Charleston Chemical Spill. It is 26 days later, our water smells stronger than it ever did with licorice. Water is now discolored. Fumes have caused hospitol visit and mass headaches and illlness in my home. I do not feel that my tap water is safe to consume as long as is smells and water is discolored. Our water just keeps getting worse and the main line has not been drained and no hydrats have been opened. Wondering what the heck they are waiting for to do that?

Incident Description: 2/2/204 - I stepped outside to check the weather at about 10:20 this evening and I could smell licorice again. This is not the first time and I had actually smelled it prior to the spill. I called 911 to report it and was told they would have someone check it. As of 11:27 I have heard absolutely nothing back from anyone. About 2 weeks ago I called this in and was told that they were doing tanker to tanker transfers at a location behind my house. They sent a volunteer fireman to explain to me that it won't explode nor was it toxic. I asked where he got his information, he told me that they had been there the night before and some "mystery" employee of the state (he could not tell me a name or even who the man worked for) explained it all to him and that people were panicking unnecessarily. I questioned why I was smelling it so heavily. He explained that it was "sticking to the trucks". I asked him to explain further. He said you know on the tires and stuff. I asked why it would be on the tires and he told me because they drive through it and things. I am relatively sure that should not be happening.

Incident Description: Similar smell of MCHM in downtown Charleston and in South Hills neighborhood. As strong as the day of the original spill.

Incident Description: Driving on interstate yesterday. The smell of licorice was so strong at the I77/79 split that I could not breathe.

Incident Description: I have been smelling licorice in the air in nitro, wv since friday 1/31/14. it was just a faint odor until today, and now it is as potent as the first week of the mchm spill. we live on the river, and i believe the smell is coming from the river water. you are welcome to come down and check it out for yourself!

Incident Description: Caller reported the licorice MCHM smell in Nitro, between the community center and the post office. The source of the smell was unknown.

Incident Description: I live on South Fort Hill Drive. in Charleston, WV and our water still smells like licorice still with the chemical MCMH. We have flushed 3 times.

Incident Description: Caller states that water still smells like MCHM off and on. The hot water is especially bad.

Incident Description: The water in this home had been running clear, until this evening. The water now has a brown slimy substance in it. The water has the sweet smell of MCHM, as well as a bleach smell now.

Incident Description: Caller is still smelling the chemical. They are not using the water for anything. Caller has sores in throat from drinking the water shortly after the spill, before she heard the water was unsafe. She threw up for several days. They have flushed house multiple times, eyes get red itchy when flushing. Can smell fumes in house from toilet boil. Slimy white substance seen on dishes from the water.

Incident Description: Caller reports they are still smelling chemical in water. Ran bathtub for 3 hours to flush, but no improvement. Eyes burn when water is running. They are not using it for anything.

Incident Description: After following instructed flushing procedure, we still have STRONG odor from hot water in our house.

Incident Description: Water still smells sweet coming from our tap , after flushing a few times.

Incident Description: Freedom chemical spill Crude MCHM Today, the hot water still smells of the chemical, but the odor isn't noticeable in the cold water in my home. However, I tried an experiment - I put cold water in a pan on the stove and heated it up. Sure enough, just before it reached the boiling point, I could smell it. The chemical is still present in the cold water even if you can't smell it.

Incident Description: I still have a strong odor in my hot water tank

Incident Description: As a result of the chemicals that spilled into the Elk River, my water is still not "normal". A strong odor, similar to red Kool-Aid, comes and goes from day to day. I smell it mainly when I turn on the hot water in my shower. I have flushed my system twice now. I do not drink or cook with the water, but I do wash dishes, wash laundry, and shower in it. Twice in the past two weeks while in the shower I have became very itchy. I did not notice any strange smells during these two incidents. Upon getting out of the shower, I looked in the mirror to notice red splotches on my skin. I was very itchy and these splotches were on my face, neck, chest, and back. I put a lot of lotion on my skin to stop the itch. The red splotches went away after about 20-30 mins. I also had a pounding headache that last at least an hour. I am scared to shower and try to get in and out as fast as I can, but if I don't shower with this chemical water I will quickly run out of bottled water. Today is the last day for water distribution in Kanawha County. I just don't know what to do.

Incident Description: First I noticed that just starting today, my clothes after washing and drying them has a chemical like strong smell on them. For the first time after our "do not use" ban was lifted, I took a shower using my "safe" water. And I now have a chemical burn covered my right hand. ( that's the place were its the worst ). it burns and kinda stings. Today is 1-25-14. Got out of the shower at about 11:00 pm.

Incident Description: Caller states they started smelling 10 days after the spill. Two household members are experiencing itching, and daughter has a slight rash. Water looks "thick" like hand sanitizer.

Incident Description: Still have a very strong, sweet licorice odor in all taps, hot and cold. We have completed 2 full home flushes. In contact with Billie at Am. Water, awaiting hydrant flush then all clear for 3rd home flush. Waiting for 3 days for hydrant flush. Day 14, no potable water.

Incident Description: MCHM sweet/licorice smell persistent after repeatedly flushing pipes six times.

Incident Description: Caller reports they still have the odor of MCHM in their home. The odor didn't reach their home until several days after the original spill. They have flushed system twice, longer than what was recommend. Early on, water was slightly discolored, but not any more. One household member showered after the ban was lifted - a few minutes later he got big welts and itching, but they cleared the next day. Household members still experiencing blood shot eyes and dry skin.

Incident Description: Tap water has odor and the odor is getting stronger.

Incident Description: Did not smell this chemical during the water crises but now i am starting to smell it

Incident Description: Water still smells at times very strongly of licorice and leaves film on things.

Incident Description: We still smell mchm in our water. Both my husband and myself have excessively itchy dry skin from showering.

Incident Description: Smell in water, has been burning skin. Not real bad but it hurts and the water still has a smell to it.

Incident Description: "Licorice" smelling water and headaches, nausea, burning in mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach after ingesting 1/2 cup of water.

Incident Description: Strong licorice smell in water.

Incident Description: Still smelling the licorice smell at my home. Last night the water smelled like chlorine and today it smells just as bad as it did on day 1 like straight licorice.

Incident Description: Black/blue water running from tap. very bad smell

Incident Description: Water still smells of licorice and get rash, itchy eyes, and scratchy throat when I we shower.

Incident Description: After receiving an order to flush by WVAW on Friday, 01/17/14 we did flush our lines that day, and every day since. We are still experiencing an odor, but this odor is much stronger when we run hot water. The odor can be described as part sweet and part plastic. I am concerned that the hot water and MCHM may be causing PVC pipe deterioration

Incident Description: Freedom Industries Crude MCHM spill into the Elk River less than 2 miles upstream from WV American Water Intake on 1/9/14 - We have experienced the fumes and odors since 1/9/14 and they are still in our house, pipes and water on 1/22/14

Incident Description: Water still smells of MCHM after two flushings post-ban lift.

Incident Description: Cherry cough syrup smell from water and cough violently when water is on. Burns on cheeks

Incident Description: Home owner has flushed for the first time today, flushing twice. Developed headache during the flush, and also experienced diarrhea. Turned the water on Saturday the 18th and developed a rash on face and hands from vapors.

Incident Description: Water still smells of MCHM.

Incident Description: Water contaminated with MCHM. Still smells on 22 jan

Incident Description: Caller reported home still has chemical smell, after flushing system several times. The smell didn't appear at this house until Saturday 18th. Home owner had flushed Friday the 17th. Household is not using tap water for bathing, dish washing or drinking.

Incident Description: licorice smell in shower

Incident Description: Crude mchm smell in water that makes me sick to even turn the faucet on much less use it. I'm 32.6 weeks pregnant and am terrified of the water and the lasting effects on myself,my family and the environment. I've flushed the system m got water three times. The fumes are too strong to do it again and everyday it gets worse not better.

Incident Description: Caller's house has had smell since the beginning of the spill. Pipes have been flushed many times, but has made no difference. They now have to drip the water to keep pipes from freezing, which is making house smell worse.

Incident Description: We can still smell the MCHM in our water. It's especially strong when the hot water is running. The smell sometimes seems to be getting worse instead of better.

Incident Description: Caller reported that her two children and husband are still getting red bumps after bathing in water in Charleston. The bumps fade eventually, but skin is often itchy.

Incident Description: licorice/sweet odor in water from MCHM spill.

Incident Description: We are still smelling the MCHM in our water.

Incident Description: Chemical spill in elk river. Have flushed our pipes 3 times and the smell is still very strong.

Incident Description: smell when water is turned on

Incident Description: Licorice smell still

Incident Description: WV Chemical Spill. I can still smell it today. It is less than it was, but it is here. It is stronger in the hot water.

Incident Description: Scent of MCHM in our water.

Incident Description: OUR WATER STILL SMELLS AWFUL!!! It has a sweet smell to it and when I flush which I have done prolly 7 times. My whole house smells like that sweet smell. I have called wvaw 3 times and they basically say they will have a water specialist call me. The water specialist calls me and says keep flushing. Our fire hydrants have not been touched and my neighbors are having the same issue.

Incident Description: West Virginia chemical spill into Elk River, Charleston, WV. Continued odor in our water supply to our homes. I flushed the water pipes in my home in South Hills (close to Bridge Rd Shops) for the 3rd time on Monday, 25 minutes for hot water, 25 minutes for cold water. The odor is as strong as every. Flushing has not helped. I've now flushed for a total of 125 minutes over the course of 3 different times.

Incident Description: Was cleaning a house( one of my jobs) and I was washing dishes and cleaning tubs and copping floors when I left to go to another job I wash my hands because they were on fire

Incident Description: Testing cold water tap in the kitchen. Ban had been lifted, but home has not yet been flushed.

Incident Description: Testing cold water in bathroom. Household has NOT flushed, even though the ban has been lifted.

Incident Description: Testing cold water from kitchen sink. Water use ban NOT lifted in this area yet. House NOT flushed. Faint odor present.

Incident Description: Testing cold water in kitchen. Flushed house at 9:10am.

Incident Description: Testing in home in Ashford, WV. House had been flushed between 11am and 12pm. Flushed longer than recommended. Testing cold water at kitchen sink.

Incident Description: Sampling by AWW staff from bottom tap of hot water tank in Ashford, WV. System had been flushed according to American Water instructions, at about 10:15 am today. Hot water had slight brown discoloration, likely from sediment in hot water tank. Sweet smell of MCHM apparent in hot water.

Incident Description: Testing tap water in Ashford, WV. Results from cold water tap in kitchen. System had been flushed according to American Water instructions, at about 10:15 am today.

Incident Description: Have that strong licorice smell in our home ever since we did the first flushing on Jan 16, 2014. It irritates our eyes too. We don't use it for drinking, cooking or washing dishes. It is not safe.

Incident Description: Contamination of Elk River by Freedom Industries. I can smell the poison even after the flushing.

Incident Description: In the beginning we had no smell or odor in our water, it remained so until the day the "do not use" was lifted. On that day our water began to smell VERY strong, and has continued since. It has not gotten lighter or less noticeable, instead it remains strong enough to cause nausea and headaches. 2 weeks of consuming, bathing and washing clothes/dishes in store bought water is breaking us.

Incident Description: We are still smelling MCHM in our water and continuing to get headaches/light headed.

Incident Description: Freedom Industries MCHM spill in the Elk River

Incident Description: January 9, 2013 chemical spill into Elk River, West Virginia caused by Freedom Industries.

Incident Description: AWW staff collected water samples from the Elk River just downstream of the spill site at Freedom Industries, and in front of the water intake for WV American Water on the afternoon after the spill was reported. A strong, sweet smell was present on the river. A blue haze was also present. There was no sheen on the water, though one had been reported by others earlier.

Incident Description: AWW staff sampled water in the Elk River just after the MCHM spill, at the WV American Water drinking water intake. Results are pending.

Incident Description: Daughters hands and arms broke out with a rash. It never itched, only would sting and burn.