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More than 100,000 Pittsburgh residents were advised to boil their water early last week before drinking, using it for cooking and other common uses after tests of city reservoirs revealed high levels of bacteria.
The state Department of Environmental Protection ordered the advisory on Tuesday, January 31, based on samples from the city’s Highland Park reservoirs, which showed insufficient levels of chlorine used to kill disease-causing pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses and protozoans, that commonly grow in water supply reservoirs. City officials said one of the city’s main filtration and treatment plants operated by the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) had failed.
City officials lifted the boil water advisory—which also affected hospitals, schools and restaurants—on Thursday, after declaring that there were no more traces of bacteria in the water, which can cause diarrhea and other sicknesses. After declaring the crisis over, the city’s Democratic Mayor Bill Peduto said he would empanel financial and legal advisory teams to examine the restructuring of PWSA, a move which was widely interpreted as a step towards setting up a so-called public-private partnership to privatize the system.
Within hours of issuing the warning area stores ran out of bottled water and restaurants, coffee shops and other businesses were forced to close. Pittsburgh Public Schools were closed on Wednesday as school and kitchen staff scrambled to turn off water fountains, obtain bottled water for students and staff, and find ways for preparing meals. Tens of thousands of parents were forced to scramble for childcare or had to stay home from work.
Many daycare centers were also forced to close and many senior centers were forced to operate without drinking water Wednesday morning. Area hospitals said they were open and had contingencies in place for such emergencies.
The state Department of Environmental Protection ordered the advisory on Tuesday, January 31, based on samples from the city’s Highland Park reservoirs, which showed insufficient levels of chlorine used to kill disease-causing pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses and protozoans, that commonly grow in water supply reservoirs. City officials said one of the city’s main filtration and treatment plants operated by the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) had failed.
City officials lifted the boil water advisory—which also affected hospitals, schools and restaurants—on Thursday, after declaring that there were no more traces of bacteria in the water, which can cause diarrhea and other sicknesses. After declaring the crisis over, the city’s Democratic Mayor Bill Peduto said he would empanel financial and legal advisory teams to examine the restructuring of PWSA, a move which was widely interpreted as a step towards setting up a so-called public-private partnership to privatize the system.
Within hours of issuing the warning area stores ran out of bottled water and restaurants, coffee shops and other businesses were forced to close. Pittsburgh Public Schools were closed on Wednesday as school and kitchen staff scrambled to turn off water fountains, obtain bottled water for students and staff, and find ways for preparing meals. Tens of thousands of parents were forced to scramble for childcare or had to stay home from work.
Many daycare centers were also forced to close and many senior centers were forced to operate without drinking water Wednesday morning. Area hospitals said they were open and had contingencies in place for such emergencies.
Officials declare Pittsburgh’s water unsafe to drink
More than 100,000 Pittsburgh residents were advised to boil their water before drinking or using it for other needs.
www.wsws.org
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