Officials arrived at the factory on Piedmont Street sometime around 6 p.m. after a ball valve failure resulted in a hydraulic oil leaking up to 6,000 gallons of oil.
Officials said that the oil spilled onto the property, pavement, soil and a catch basin.
Initially, officials believed the oil didn’t leak out into the basin but then saw a sheen on the Naugatuck River pointing back to the facility.
"They're in the process of also bringing out an LEP, a licensed environmental professional," says David Poynton of DEEP. "They're going to probably go out throughout the river and see what kind of a eco-damage has been done.
The Waterbury Fire Department placed booms at the discharged pipe location at the intersection of South Main Street and Piedmont Street, in efforts to absorb the leak.
DEEP says the cleanup could take weeks. As of now there is no immediate impact to wildlife. But they are warning residents not to consume anything from the river.