More than two months after a boil water advisory was first issued for customers of the Southwest Warren County Municipal Authority (SWCMA), public records obtained through Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law are shedding new light on the long-running operational and regulatory issues that preceded the ongoing water crisis.

The records, obtained by a Tidioute resident from the Tidioute Borough, SWCMA and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), include more than 1,500 pages of documents, inspection reports, violation notices, correspondence and compliance records dating back to 2019. Copies of the records have been forwarded to the Times Observer.

The boil water advisory was first issued March 18 after the authority reported a potential loss of positive water pressure caused by low storage tank levels and system leaks. The advisory remains in effect.

Since then, officials have repeatedly extended projected timelines for resolving the issue. A drinking water warning distributed April 16 stated officials anticipated resolving turbidity problems by June 1. A reissued warning distributed May 15 revised that estimate, stating the authority anticipated resolving the problem by July 1, depending on weather conditions and repairs.

According to DEP notices and authority updates, the system has experienced a combination of low water pressure, distribution system leaks and elevated turbidity levels that affected filtration performance.

A May 15 drinking water warning stated raw water turbidity exceeded 50 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) during storm events, causing combined filter effluent turbidity to rise above 4.0 NTU, more than double the state’s standard of 2.0 NTU. Elevated turbidity can interfere with disinfection and increase the likelihood that disease-causing microorganisms remain in the water supply.

A review of DEP compliance documents shows SWCMA has received multiple violations over the past several years, including violations related to staffing requirements, monitoring and reporting failures, filter maintenance deficiencies and exceedances involving disinfection byproducts.

Inspection records obtained through the Right-to-Know requests also indicate DEP inspectors found multiple filtration beds in need of maintenance during an April 1 inspection. Records also note concerns involving turbidity monitoring equipment and operator certification requirements.

Records show DEP held a formal compliance meeting with SWCMA in 2024 while the authority was operating under a Consent Order and Agreement. Documents indicate the authority later paid $6,000 in civil penalties associated with violations and breaches of that agreement.

Records show that members of Tidioute Borough Council, SWCMA board members, borough employees and the mayor signed non-disclosure agreements in early 2026, shortly before the water crisis began.

The agreements define confidential information broadly as information regarding borough or authority business that is not generally known to the public. While such agreements are not uncommon in certain governmental contexts, residents are questioning whether the agreements contributed to what they have described as limited public communication during the ongoing advisory.

“I do want to be fair: NDAs at the start of a new council term aren’t necessarily unusual or illegal on their own,” a Tidioute Facebook post reads that first disclosed the information. “But asking elected public officials to sign blanket confidentiality agreements covering all public business, and then having a two-month public health emergency where residents are kept almost completely in the dark, is exactly the kind of outcome those agreements make possible.”

Borough and authority officials have not publicly linked the agreements to communications regarding the water crisis.

Financial records show the borough paid $25,702.86 in legal fees between January 2024 and May 2026, while SWCMA paid an additional $3,743.85 in legal expenses. Combined with DEP civil penalties, total documented expenditures exceeded $35,000 during that period.

However, no documented borough expenditures were specifically identified as major water system upgrades, filter rebuilds or infrastructure improvements within the records reviewed.

Meanwhile, officials report progress is being made.

According to a June 2 system update posted on Tidioute’s website, filter maintenance has been completed on one filtration bed and continues on others. Operators reported improved production rates and declining turbidity levels, with combined filter effluent readings measuring 1.436 NTU on June 2, below the state threshold that triggered the turbidity warning.

In the May update, officials acknowledged that unknown leaks remain within the system and that water losses continue to be elevated.

Before the advisory can be lifted, the authority must complete repairs, continue flushing operations, maintain disinfectant levels and collect satisfactory microbial samples throughout the distribution system.

Residents are still being advised to boil water for at least one minute before using it for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, making ice or washing dishes.

The resident who obtained the records said the purpose of releasing the information is to encourage public participation and accountability.

“People deserve to know what’s been happening with the water they drink every day,” the resident wrote in the Facebook post. “Nothing is going to change unless people ask for it.”

Residents seeking additional information are encouraged to attend upcoming borough council and SWCMA meetings or contact the DEP Northwest Regional Office in Meadville.