Tidioute boil-water alert has been lifted
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A boil-water alert in Tidioute has come to an end. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection reported earlier this week the test results showed the water system was functioning properly and water could be consumed by users.
The advisory was originally issued March 18 after testing identified excessive turbidity in the system’s combined filter effluent. Turbidity measures the cloudiness of water and is regulated because elevated levels can interfere with effective disinfection.
According to a previous SWCMA notice, a sample collected April 15 recorded turbidity above 4.0 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU), exceeding Pennsylvania’s stated limit of 2.0 NTU.
Although turbidity itself is not necessarily a direct health risk, elevated levels can reduce the effectiveness of disinfection and increase the possibility that disease-causing microorganisms remain in the water.
SWCMA has attributed additional strain on the treatment process to storms that pushed raw water turbidity above 50 NTU. Operators have responded by increasing chlorine levels, reducing the amount of water passing through filters and addressing leaks in the distribution system.