Around 95,000 Pennsylvania American Water Customers In Pittsbugh Area Told Boil Water After Pressure Lost

McMURRAY, PA — A 'boil water' advisory has been issued for around 95,000 customers in portions of Pennsylvania American Water’s Allegheny and Washington County service areas, the utility said in a post to its website on Saturday.

In routine monitoring of its water distribution system, early Saturday morning, a power surge caused a depletion of water storage at a tank near the Aldrich Water Treatment Plant in Elrama, Washington County, resulting in the loss of positive pressure within the distribution system, the utility said.

"A loss of positive water pressure is a signal of the existence of conditions that could allow contamination to enter the distribution system through backflow by back pressure or back siphonage," the utility stated. "As a result, we are issuing a boil water advisory for customers in the affected area."

Normal electrical service has since been restored, and the utility is collecting and analyzing additional water quality samples, including bacterial samples.

The utility will inform customers when the corrective actions are completed, and they no longer need to boil water.

The utility urged customers not to drink its water without boiling it first — bringing all water to a rolling boil, then letting it boil for one minute, and then cooling it before using — or using bottled water instead.

Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice.

Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms, which include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms like nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.

The symptoms, however, are not caused only by organisms in drinking water, but also by other factors.

Anyone who experiences any of the symptoms, and if they persist, should seek medical advice.

Guardians of infants and young children and people at increased risk, such as pregnant women, the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems, should seek advice from their health care advisors about drinking this water.

General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426 4791.

The affected service areas include:

Allegheny County

• Bethel Park
• Bridgeville
• Clairton
• Dravosburg
• Elizabeth Township
• Elizabeth Borough
• Glassport
• Jefferson Hills Borough
• Liberty
• Lincoln
• North Fayette
• South Fayette
• South Park
• Upper Saint Clair
• West Elizabeth

WASHINGTON COUNTY

• Amwell Buffalo Canonsburg
• Canton
• Caroll Township
• Cecil Township
• Chartiers
• City of Washington
• Claysville
• Cross Creek
• Donegal Township
• East Washington
• Fallowfield
• Finleyville Forward Township
• Green Hills Borough
• Houston
• Jefferson
• Monongahela
• Mount Pleasant
• New Eagle
• North Franklin
• North Strabane
• Nottingham
• Peters Township
• Somerset Township
• South Franklin
• South Strabane
• Union Township
• West Middletown

Customers can view a map of the affected area by entering their addresses here.

For more information, visit www.pennsylvaniaamwater.com, and select Alerts, or contact Pennsylvania American Water’s customer service center at 800-565-7292.