Muncipal Authority of Westmoreland County reminds businesses to flush water before reopening

The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County has warned businesses to make sure their water is safe when they reopen after a long closure.

MAWC treats its water with a disinfectant, but that can dissipate after a long time stagnant. This can lead to biological growths, bad taste and a discoloration, according to the authority.

The authority recommends businesses run cold water through all taps, one at a time for at least 10 minutes each. Then they should drain the hot water tank, flush water through the tank outlet for 30 minutes, and run hot water through each tap.

Detailed guidelines are available at mawc.org.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced Friday that many Westmoreland County businesses will be allowed to reopen May 15 when most of Southwestern Pennsylvania enters the “yellow phase”of the state reopening plan.