Pittsburgh, PA - The precautionary flush and boil water advisory impacting portions of Polish Hill is no longer in effect.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 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 break on a section of a 8-inch water main on Ruthven Street on May 21st. The break was isolated at approximately 3:30 p.m. and repairs were completed at approximately 9:30 p.m. This break resulted in low and no water pressure in portions of Polish Hill.

When there is a water pressure loss, contaminants can enter the drinking water. In an abundance of caution, and accordance with state regulations, PWSA is issued a precautionary flush and boil water advisory to a limited area, approximately 400 households.