More than 100,000 households and businesses have been left without potable water because of a large-scale chemical spill discovered Thursday on the Elk River near Charlestown, West Virginia. The spill occurred just north of one of the largest water treatment plants in America and as many as 480,000 residents may be affected.

Officials believe methylcyclohexene methanol, a chemical used in the coal washing process, leaked into the Elk River from a 48,000 gallon containment tank at a site run by Freedom Industries, Inc. The Governor of West Virginia has declared a state of emergency for nine counties and countless businesses have been ordered shuttered. Reports indicate that federal law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney for West Virginia are exploring federal criminal charges in connection with the spill.

Experts warn that ingesting or inhaling the chemical poses potentially severe health risks. Residents near the Elk River have already complained of a strong licorice-type odor that has produced eye and skin irritations, headaches, difficulty breathing and other health issues and at least five people have been hospitalized for symptoms related to the leak.