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TIDIOUTE — A boil water advisory affecting customers of the Southwest Warren County Municipal Authority (SWCMA) is expected to remain in place into November as crews continue efforts to address filtration problems at the community's water treatment plant.
The advisory, originally issued March 18, remains active because testing showed the system's combined filter effluent turbidity exceeded Pennsylvaina's drinking water standard. In the authority's latest reissue, dated Sept. 10, officials reported that a water sample collected April 15 recorded turbidity above 4.0 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU). The state limit of 2.0 NTU.
Turbidity refers to the cloudiness of water. Although elevated turbidity is not considered a health risk by itself, it can make disinfection less effective and increase the potential for disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasites to remain in the water.
Until the advisory is lifted, residents should boil water for at least one minute before drinking or using it for cooking, making ice, brushing teeth or washing dishes. Bottled water is also recommended.
According to SWCMA, recent storms pushed raw water turbidity above 50 NTU, placing additional strain on the treatment process and contributing to the ongoing filtration problems. Operators have responded by increasing chlorine levels and reducing the amount of water moving through the filters as repair work continues.
The authority is also searching for and repairing leaks within the distribution system. Officials said reducing water demand is necessary before additional maintenance and cleaning can be performed on the treatment plant's filter bays.
The authority has reported the following work and developments.
— July 14 - A leak was detected on the recirculating line for the bridge. Filter 4 remained filtering to waste, while plans were made to take Filter 3 out of service for maintenance.
— July 15 - Maintenance at the intake plant was completed, and filter 4 was returned to service.
— July 24 - A leak was discovered on Buckingham Street.
— July 27 - Repairs to the Buckingham Street leak were completed.
— August 13 - A leak was detected on Scott Street Extension.
SWCMA currently expects the filtration issues to be resolved by Nov. 1. Officials noted, however, that the schedule could change depending on raw water quality, progress on leak repair and the completion of treatment plant maintenance.
The boil water advisory will remain in effect until testing demonstrates that the water system is consistently meeting all state drinking water requirements. SWCMA will continue issuing updated public notices every 30 days for as long as the advisory remains in place.