Pittsburgh, PA - The precautionary flush and boil water advisory impacting portions of Stanton Heights and Garfield is no longer in effect. Two rounds of water quality testing did not show any evidence of contamination. The water in the impacted area is now confirmed to be safe to drink.

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) recommends that customers using their water for the first time in several days run their taps for at least one minute before using it for cooking or drinking. This helps remove stagnant water from plumbing and brings in fresh water from water mains.

When the advisory is in place, PWSA must conduct two rounds of testing within the impacted area to confirm adequate disinfectant levels and verify that the water is safe to drink. After two consecutive rounds of testing show satisfactory results, the precautionary advisory can be lifted. We recognize the inconvenience of having to flush and boil water. However, the advisory was issued in an abundance of caution to ensure the safety of our water and customers. 

Customers are encouraged to take simple precautionary steps to minimize disruptions at home by keeping several days of bottled water on hand and subscribing to our email distribution list for emergency notifications and updates. It takes less than a minute to subscribe at www.pgh2o.com/subscribe. To receive robocalls from PWSA, customers should ensure their contact information is up to date by going to "Update Contact Info" on PWSA's homepage.

PWSA experienced a loss of water pressure caused by damage during construction in the area around the Garfield Tank. This damage caused an interruption in pumping at the Garfield Tank and depleted water pressure on Saturday, October 17, 2020 at approximately 11:00 a.m.; pump sensors were restored at approximately 1:30 p.m. This resulted in low and no water pressure in portions of high elevation in Garfield and Stanton Heights.

When there is a water pressure loss, contaminants can enter the drinking water. In an abundance of caution, and accordance with state regulations, PWSA issued a precautionary flush and boil water advisory to a limited area of approximately 300 households.