Pennsylvania American Water issues boil water notice for Allegheny and Washington counties
Pennsylvania American Water issues boil water notice for Allegheny and Washington counties
By
Patrick Damp
Web Producer, CBS Pittsburgh
Patrick Damp is a web producer for CBS Pittsburgh. A Pittsburgh native who grew up watching KDKA-TV, Patrick studied journalism at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. After half a decade in sports communication, Patrick decided to pursue his dream of working in journalism in his hometown and joined the CBS Pittsburgh team in 2019.
Read Full Bio/ CBS Pittsburgh
More than 90,000 Pennsylvania American Water customers are under a boil water notice as of Saturday morning.
According to PAW, an early morning power surge caused a depletion of water storage at the tank near the Aldrich Water Treatment Plant in Elrama.
This also results in a loss of water pressure within the distribution system, and that could lead to contamination entering the system through backflow or back siphonage.
The boil water advisory applies to customers in both Allegheny and Washington counties.
Pennsylvania American Water said that normal electrical service has been restored, and they are collecting and analyzing water samples for further testing.
Customers can enter their address and view a map to see if they’re affected by this advisory at this link.
Under a boil water advisory, you are asked to bring all water to a rolling boil and let it boil for one minute. This includes all water — water for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and food preparation.
Contaminated water can cause bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections, which can lead to nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and other ailments.
More information can be found on Pennsylvania American Water’s website at this link or by calling their customer service center at 800-565-7292.