125,000 People in Western PA Still Without Drinking Water (Third Day)

This is actually affecting citizens in 4 counties: Westmoreland, Allegheny, Armstrong, and Indiana. Where are the water buffaloes? Where are our elected officials? Why isn't ANYONE helping these people? In addition to residences and businesses, there are hospitals and nursing homes that are struggling through this problem.

"Officials Say Normal Water Use May Not Be Returned Until Tuesday"

Excellent video at link:

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/50000-households-westmoreland-co-under-boil-water-/nbX8F/

"Schools were closed Friday, businesses are unable to fully operate and now officials are saying close to 120,000 people have been affected by a water boil alert in Westmoreland County."

"Officials in Westmoreland County said during a Friday afternoon news conference that normal water usage in the area may not be returned until Tuesday."

<snip>

"The Department of Environmental Protection says the water contained algae that shouldn't be there, and they ordered the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County to increase chlorination and flush the system."

Question: The DEP actually drew the samples on Tuesday and Wednesday. Why did it take so long for the residents to be notified? In fact, some people never were called:

" A day and a half after a boil-water alert was issued for about 125,000 Westmoreland County residents, Denise Merrill was still searching for answers about what to do."

"Her North Huntingdon neighbors, some just a stone's throw away, received robocalls alerting them to take precautions, but she didn't."

“It's just frustrating. This is a serious matter. The municipal authority needs to have a better emergency plan than what's in place,” said Merrill, who lives along Barnes Lake Road."

"Merrill was just one of many area residents waiting for information Saturday about whether they are affected by the alert issued by the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County on Thursday evening."

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/4952420-74/authority-boil-route#ixzz2ixZPXVCL
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Customers of MAWC were not told what the water problem is, and many businesses have been affected as well.:

" Apollo resident Angela Reichenecker Stinson said she received a robo call from the water authority at 9 p.m. Thursday."

“They were not telling anybody what was actually wrong,” she said."

"Stinson said she could not determine if it was OK to use water for showering."

“What if you have a cut on your skin?” she asked."

<snip>

"Mike Kitch, manager at Route 66 Grille, north of Greensburg, was out shopping minutes before his restaurant opened, trying to find bottled water."

"But as Marie Aliberti, a manager at Giant Eagle in North Huntingdon, could have told him, none was left."

"The store had received five pallets of bottled water and sold out in 30 minutes."

"Customers started arriving at 10 p.m. and didn't stop all night."

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/4947176-74/schools-township-bottled#ixzz2ixcI5PaK
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" Sam Rubin, who runs Walkers PetHotail in Murrysville, said the dogs at day care were all getting well water. Rubin was upset that the authority did not immediately release information about what was contaminating the water."

“We didn't know if it was a parasite or a chemical,” he said."

Read more: http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourallekiskivalley/yourallekiskivalleymore/4948208-74/bottled-cope-swartzlander#ixzz2ixbsjuOL
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To add to all of the confusion, MAWC's website crashed because so many people were trying to find out information on their own. Residents, health care facilities, businesses, schools are still waiting for answers. It seems that MAWC wasn't adequately prepared for a crisis of this scope, which is quite disconcerting because the water supply that has been impacted is the home of this:

http://www.marcellus-shale.us/Beaver-Run-Reservoir.htm