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Updated 18 minutes ago
Pittsburgh has found no signs of contamination in its drinking water and no clear evidence of low chlorine levels cited by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in issuing a boil water order for 100,000 city residents, officials said Wednesday.
Trouble began Sunday when the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority recorded “erratic” chlorine readings at a filtration plant servicing the Highland Park Reservoir, which supplies water to 60 percent of the city. PWSA adds chlorine as a disinfectant to kill pathogens that might enter the system.
PWSA is testing the water every four hours, and officials from PWSA and DEP plan to meet at 8 a.m. Thursday to review the authority’s latest analysis, PWSA interim Executive Director Bernard Lindstrom said Wednesday evening.
Still, officials said the boil water order may not be lifted for two more days.
PWSA to affected customers: Flush your lines for 1 minute. That will ensure you flush any particulates from lead pipes. Then boil your water
— Natasha Lindstrom (@NewsNatasha) February 1, 2017
PWSA to affected customers: Flush your lines for 1 minute. That will ensure you flush any particulates from lead pipes. Then boil your water
Lindstrom said the readings could have been caused by human error, a malfunctioning chlorine tester or a mechanical problem at the reservoir.
“We believe the water treatment plant and the system is operating within the regulatory requirements,” Lindstrom said. “We admit that the point where we were measuring chlorine was reading (erratically). We found that out. We engaged with DEP. They asked us if we could fix it. We gave them a plan. They said that wasn’t adequate enough and said we’re issuing a field order to provide a boil order.”
DEP spokesman Neil Shader said the agency issued the order because of a breakdown in chlorine treatment. He said the order would be lifted after PWSA demonstrates that inadequately treated water has been flushed from the system or water in the system has been properly treated.
He said PWSA recorded chlorine levels below standard during 12-hour periods Sunday and Monday and had an obligation to notify the public within 24 hours of the breakdown.
PWSA issued the notice around 6 p.m. Tuesday.
“It wasn’t until Tuesday that we were aware of the scope of the issue,” Water Quality Chief Gina Cyprych said.
Lindstrom said the city took “abundance of caution” and assumed the issue was caused by a mechanical problem at the reservoir, and PWSA plans to replace a malfunctioning valve. The work could take as long as two days.
Meanwhile, PWSA removed the reservoir from the water system and is supplying water from its main treatment plant in Aspinwall, which meets DEP regulations, Lindstrom said.
The authority is adding chlorine to the system, increasing water production at the plant and taking seven different water tests at 34 locations across the city. Officials said Wednesday evening that chlorine levels were rising.
As part of discussions with DEP, Lindstrom said, PWSA also has to flush the “bad source water” from the system before the boil order is lifted. To achieve that, PWSA plans to open select fire hydrants across the city, Lindstrom said. He did not identify the locations.
No one has been treated at Pittsburgh hospitals for signs of consuming contaminated water, officials said.
. @billpeduto : #PittsburghWater order in effect bc of PA regs: ‘In any other state, we'd be drinking the water. We wouldn't be closing schls’ pic.twitter.com/hu9Pieuv4y
— Natasha Lindstrom (@NewsNatasha) February 1, 2017
. @billpeduto : #PittsburghWater order in effect bc of PA regs: ‘In any other state, we'd be drinking the water. We wouldn't be closing schls’ pic.twitter.com/hu9Pieuv4y
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