Capital Region Water temporarily will use water from its backup, the Susquehanna River - PennLive

Capital Region Water temporarily will use water from its backup, the Susquehanna River - pennlive.com

Capital Region Water said today that it will pump and treat water from its backup source for two weeks.

The agency said the backup source is the Susquehanna River and the temporary change is designed to test the reliability of the backup system in the event of an emergency.

“Our top priority is to protect public health by providing safe, reliable drinking water,” said Charlotte Katzenmoyer, CEO of Capital Region Water in a news release. “All state and federal drinking water standards will be met during this temporary exercise. While customers with a sensitive palate may notice a slightly different taste, there will be no changes to the quality of water coming through your tap.”

The test will last approximately 14 days. On Nov. 6, 2023, Capital Region Water said it will transition the full supply back to the primary source, the DeHart Reservoir.

The company is asking all of its customers to complete an online survey about the water service line to their home or business.

“Once completed, the survey will be used to develop an online, interactive map that customers can use to review service line materials throughout the system from main to household,” Capital Region Water said.

Customers can see the water quality reports here.

Capital Region Water provides water for Harrisburg and portions of surrounding municipalities including Penbrook, Paxtang and Steelton boroughs and Susquehanna, Swatara and Lower Paxton townships, in Dauphin County.

The test comes at the same time that Pennsylvania American Water is asking customers around Mechanicsburg in Cumberland County to continue to conserve water because of a leak in an underground heating oil storage tank at the Cumberland-Perry Area Career and Technical Center on Old Willow Mill Road, Silver Spring Twp.

The mandatory conservation notice was issued on Oct. 17 and remains in effect.

While the water is safe to drink and use “as normal,” the Silver Spring Water Treatment Plant was taken offline “in response to contamination of the Conodoguinet Creek,” the company said.

The company issued a mandatory water conservation notice for 42,000 customer connections in the Mechanicsburg water system - including the municipalities of Silver Spring, Hampden, Lower Allen, East Pennsboro and Fairview townships, and New Cumberland, Lemoyne and Wormleysburg boroughs.

“We are working with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to determine when water from the Conodoquinet Creek will be safe to use again and our Silver Spring Water Treatment Plant can resume normal operations. When conditions improve, customers will be notified through our automated emergency notification system that the mandatory conservation notice is lifted,” Pennsylvania American Water said.