Despite a dry start to summer, water authorities confident in Western Pa. supply levels

Despite less than three inches of rain having fallen in June and there being none so far for July, local water authorities are not concerned about continuing to supply the region with clean drinking water, and this week’s forecast is giving them plenty of reasons to be happy.

While hot temperatures are expected to linger, dry skies are not.

Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County officials are monitoring water levels, but at this point, there is nothing to worry about, said manager Michael Kukura.

“We’re not at that point yet,” he said. “We’re looking at it daily.”

The level of Beaver Run Reservoir in Bell and Washington townships is at the average depth for June — 1,047 feet, Kukura said. The reservoir is full at 1,050 feet, and would have to drop by more than 20 feet before reaching a level requiring voluntary water conservation.

“We’re dropping at a rate of less than 0.1 feet per day,” Kukura said.

At that rate, it would take another 100 days of no rain to reach a level that would trigger the authority’s drought contingency plans, Kukura said.

The authority has plants in Connellsville and McKeesport that draw from the Youghiogheny River.

If a critical situation were to emerge, the authority relies on a drought contingency plan that would involve asking customers to conserve and considering shutting water service off for some industries while maintaining residential service, Kukura said.

“We’re not anywhere near that,” he said.

In Allegheny County, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority draws from the Allegheny River.

“Pittsburgh is a fairly water-­rich region,” said Rebecca Zito, the authority’s acting senior public affairs manager. “(The Allegheny) is generally always pretty free-flowing. We’re not seeing anything that would require us to conserve water.”

The authority serves about 300,000 customers in the city of Pittsburgh as well as a handful of bordering communities.

If Kukura or Zito did have concerns, this week’s revised forecast may help put them at ease.

The National Weather Service in Moon Township is calling for a 30% chance of rain Tuesday, ramping up to to 40% Tuesday evening and up to 50% on Wednesday night. And, while temperatures are projected to remain in the 90s through the end of the week, a 40% chance of rain is also in the extended forecast for Friday.