Water problems are back at Butler County mobile home park

A boil water advisory was in effect at a Butler County mobile home park with a history of water problems.

Residents at Bernie’s Mobile Home Park in Winfield Township were told to boil their water before drinking due to a possible “increased risk from microbial contamination.”

“Last week, I was running my two-year-old a bath, and the water was really dark, and it smelled bad,” Bernie’s resident Kellie Walker told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 Reporter Jordan Cioppa.

A notice sent out last week by the property’s management company, Stackhouse Management, said the issue was caused by a loss of positive water pressure during a meter replacement.

“We don’t have any official word as to if it’s been approved by the DEP. Stackhouse hasn’t given any follow-up information ever since their boil advisory, which has been over a week now,” John Green said.

In the meantime, Green and Walker said they are depending on water bottles and water from their family’s nearby home for their everyday needs.

“There’s people here that don’t have family close. Like, I am soon to be one of them because my father did pass away in December,” Walker said. “So, his house will be sold – and where am I supposed to go then?”

Last fall, Bernie’s residents were advised not to consume or boil water because of manganese level concerns.

Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 returned to the neighborhood in December when a boil water advisory was issued.

Neighbors received at least four public notices over the last few years from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, which said monitoring requirements were not met for the mobile home park.

“Our water system violated one or more drinking water standards over the past year,” each of the notices stated.

“I just don’t understand why every couple of months there’s something going on with the water,” Melissa Bradley said.

According to residents, other Stackhouse Management properties in the area experienced similar issues.

“It would be nice to explore this situation through legal avenues,” Green said.

They said the company hasn’t been responsive, and the only way to reach them is through an 800 number.

“We’re not living in huge houses with acres of land, but we deserve the right to have clean water,” Walker said.

A Winfield Township supervisor said cases of water bottles were available for pick-up at the township building during normal business hours.

Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 reached out to Stackhouse Management for answers but did not hear back.