Parts of Mon-Yough Area Still Under Boil Water Order

By Staff Reports
The Tube City Almanac
September 20, 2019
Posted in: McKeesport and Region News

(UPDATED: This story was updated with new information Friday night.)

(Photo courtesy Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety, via Twitter)

Parts of the Mon-Yough area remain under a boil-water advisory after a massive water line broke Friday morning in Pittsburgh's South Hills.

Clairton, Dravosburg, Homestead, Jefferson Hills, Munhall, Pleasant Hills, West Homestead, West Mifflin and Whitaker are among the communities affected, said a spokesman for Pennsylvania American Water Co.

Water tankers were being delivered Friday night to 15 locations, including the Munhall Municipal Building, 1900 West St., and West Mifflin Municipal Building, 1020 Lebanon Road. Customers should bring their own water containers.

The company said that water pressure was returning to normal in the affected area, but the boil-water advisory would remain in effect until at least Sunday morning.

Pennsylvania American customers on the opposite side of the river in Elizabeth, Liberty and Glassport are not affected, and communities such as McKeesport and Port Vue that get their water from the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County also are not affected.

(Map courtesy Pennsylvania American Water Co.)

The break in a 24-inch main near Becks Run Road in that city's Carrick neighborhood was discovered sometime before 6 a.m.

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto called it "catastrophic in scope."

Crews finally stopped the flow of water just after 11 a.m. Friday, but not before some residents had to be evacuated or rescued and an unknown number of houses were flooded.

Pittsburgh police reported that part of East Agnew Avenue had collapsed.

Electric power also was shut off to some homes because poles were being compromised, a spokesman for Pittsburgh's Department of Public Safety announced.

Becks Run Road is closed between Agnew and Carson streets until further notice, according to the water company.

The water company said the break caused a loss in pressure at storage tanks in Castle Shannon and Green Tree, which could have allowed contamination to enter the system.

Customers in the affected areas are being advised to either use bottled water, or boil their water for at least one minute, and then let it cool, before drinking it or using it for cooking, washing dishes, making ice or brushing their teeth.

There was some confusion on Friday afternoon, because Clairton was included in a map of affected areas, but not on a list of more than 30 communities under the boil-water advisory. A spokesman for the water company confirmed Friday night that the city is impacted and that residents should boil their drinking water until the advisory is lifted.

Affected communities, according to Pennsylvania American Water Co.:

Baldwin Borough, Baldwin Twp., Bethel Park, Brentwood, Bridgeville, Carnegie, Castle Shannon, Clairton, Collier, City of Pittsburgh (southern neighborhoods), Crafton, Dormont, Dravosburg, Greentree, Heidelberg, Homestead, Ingram, Jefferson Hills, Mt. Lebanon, Mt. Oliver, Munhall, North Fayette Twp., Oakdale, Upper St. Clair, Pleasant Hills, Rosslyn Farms, Scott Twp., South Fayette Twp., South Park Twp., Thornburg, West Homestead, West Mifflin, Whitaker, Whitehall

Tankers are being made available at the following locations:

Baldwin Borough Municipal Building: 3344 Churchview Ave.
Bethel Park Community Center: Brightwood Road
Bethel Park Volunteer Fire Dept.: 1100 Clifton Road.
Brentwood Volunteer Fire Dept.: Brownsville Road. at Park Drive
Brookline Recreation Center: 1400 Oakridge St.
Castle Shannon Volunteer Fire Dept.: 3600 Library Road
Dormont Volunteer Fire Dept.: 1455 Hillsdale Ave.
Fire Station No. 23: 1703 Brownsville Road., Carrick
Green Tree Volunteer Fire Dept.: 825 Poplar St.
Heidelberg Volunteer Fire Dept.: 456 First St.
Ingram Municipal Building: 40 W. Prospect Ave.
Munhall Municipal Building: 1900 West St.
South Fayette Twp. Municipal Building: 515 Millers Run Road
Upper St. Clair Municipal Building: 1820 McLaughlin Run Road
West Mifflin Municipal Building: 1020 Lebanon Road, West Mifflin

Originally published September 20, 2019.

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