The Pennsylvania American Water Company (PAWC) released a 48-hour boil water advisory Nov 6 for 55 towns in the counties of Allegheny and Washington, Pa. The PAWC discovered levels of turbidity above the regulatory standard at the Elrama water treatment plant. In the alert, the PAWC defines turbidity as cloudiness used to determine how effective the filtering of the water supply is.
While the PAWC states that turbidity has no health effects, Pittsburgh’s Action News warns that turbidity can interfere with disinfection and offer a medium for microbial growth. Residents are advised to boil water for a minimum of one minute before use. The PAWC hopes to resolve this issue quickly. More detailed information and a map of the affected areas can be found on the PAWC website.