Pa American Water hopes hopes to lift boil water advisory by Wednesday
The boil water advisory for Pennsylvania American Water customers in Washington and Allegheny counties may be lifted by Wednesday afternoon, pending a second clean water sample.
“We fixed the issue with the plant last night,” said Melissa Walters, external affairs manager for Pennsylvania American Water Western PA, on Tuesday concerning water samples taken on Monday that showed the water was cloudier than the regulatory standard.
That led to the company to issue an advisory to about 100,000 customers that they should boil their water before using it, and prompted the company to drain the affected water storage tanks and analyze samples.
Washington County communities impacted include Caroll Township, Donegal Township, Fallowfield Township, Finleyville, Monongahela, New Eagle and Union Township. Residents of Elizabeth and Elizabeth Township in Allegheny County are also being instructed to boil water.
Walters said the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) requires water companies to provide two clean water samples 24 hours apart before an advisory can be lifted.
She said the first sample was taken Monday evening, and the company would take a second sample on Tuesday.
If both samples are shown to be clean, Walters said they hope to be able to lift the advisory by Wednesday afternoon.
“We’re working diligently with the DEP to lift boil advisory as soon as possible,” Walters said.
In the meantime, customers are advised not to drink the water without boiling it for 1 minute first. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
Cloudiness has no health effects; however, it can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. It may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.
On Monday, the company has also provided water tankers to ease the inconvenience of the situation.
“We’ve seen people using the tankers,” Walters said, adding they have around 20 takers set up between Allegheny and Washington.
Tankers are available at the following locations:
Bethel Park Community Center: 5151 Park Ave., Bethel Park, Pa., 15102
Canonsburg Dam parking lot: McDowell Road, McMurray Pa., 15317
Canonsburg United Presbyterian Church: 112 W Pike St., Canonsburg, Pa., 15317
Carroll Township Volunteer Fire Department: 988 PA-837, Monongahela, Pa., 15063
Elrama Volunteer Fire Company: 17 Elrama Ave., Elrama, Pa., 15038
North Strabane Fire Department: 2550 Washington Road, Canonsburg, Pa., 15317
South Fayette Township Library: 515 Millers Run Road, Morgan, Pa., 15064
South Park Township Library: 2575 Brownsville Road, South Park Township, Pa., 15129
Upper St Clair Community & Recreation Center: 1551 Mayview Road, Upper St Clair, Pa., 15241
Customers should bring their own containers when visiting a tanker for drinking water and to check . Please continue to check this page for additional water tanker locations and updates.
For more information, visit www.pennsylvaniaamwater.com, and select Alerts Notification, or contact Pennsylvania American Water’s customer service center at 800-565-7292.