Pittsburgh, PA - The precautionary flush and boil water advisory impacting portions of several western neighborhoods is no longer in effect.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 safe to drink.

Customers in the affected area are no longer advised to flush or boil tap water before consumption. 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.

A break on a section of a 20" water main near the intersection of West Carson Street and Steuben Street at approximately 7:00 p.m. on January 19th caused low and no water pressure in portions Crafton Heights, Elliott, Esplen, Ridgemont, and Westwood. The break and associated repairs required the closure of the outbound West Carson Street bypass. The area has now been restored and the bypass is open to traffic.

When an advisory is in place, PWSA must conduct two rounds of testing within a 48-hour period 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.