Final water restrictions lifted in McKeesport

All do-not-drink restrictions in McKeesport’s Lower 10th Ward were lifted Thursday, nearly a month after a portion of the city’s water system was contaminated by firefighting foam used to extinguish a blaze in mid July.

Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County officials said the last five customers impacted by the contamination were cleared to use water for drinking and other purposes. The latest round of testing indicated all traces of chemicals related to the potentially toxic foam had been flushed from the system and private homes and businesses.

The authority issued a “don’t use” warning to more than 250 water customers early July 17 after suspicions arose that foam used hours earlier by city firefighters leaked into the system. Subsequent testing of water lines and homes throughout the Lower 10th Ward revealed chemicals had penetrated the systems.

Public water lines and private pipes and appliances within homes and businesses were flushed over the next days and weeks to remove the chemicals as daily testing was undertaken in which samples were driven to a lab in Lancaster to monitored the contamination.

Some restrictions were lifted July 23. Additional homes and businesses were cleared to use public water on July 28 and again Aug. 5. Five properties remained under the restriction over the last week.

“This didn’t need to happen. Our customers should not have been subjected to this level of inconvenience and concern, and the cost in time and money to resolve this issue was excessive,” said authority manager Michael Kukura.

Authority spokesman Matthew Junker said ongoing water testing over the last month has exceeded $100,000 in costs. Additional expenses related to the contamination has yet to be totaled.

A plan to recoup expenses from the city has been discussed with the authority’s solicitor, Junker said.

“We anticipate at the next board meeting (on Aug. 18) we’ll have something to say about the next course of action,” Junker said.