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Aqua Ohio lifts boil alert for 11 communities
STAFF REPORT
STRUTHERS
The widespread boil-water advisory put out by Aqua Ohio for customers in 11 communities in Mahoning County and Pennsylvania’s Lawrence County has been lifted.
The boil alert affected the villages of Poland, Lowellville and New Middletown; the city of Struthers; and Coitsville, Poland, Boardman, Beaver, Canfield and Springfield townships in Ohio and Mahoning Township in Pennsylvania.
The order was lifted early Saturday.
The alert was issued Thursday after water samples taken by Aqua’s Struthers Division showed a high level of turbidity, or cloudiness.
The problem was due to a two-hour equipment failure with one of the “chemical feeds” at the company’s water plant, said Aqua spokeswoman Donna Alston. The equipment was “corrected immediately,” Alston added.
High turbidity increases the chance that water could contain disease-causing organisms. Turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for bacterial growth, causing symptoms such as nausea, cramps and diarrhea.
Aqua did not receive any reports from customers experiencing these symptoms, Alston said.
Acceptable bacteria sample results were obtained from Aqua Ohio’s distribution system late Thursday and Friday, in consultation with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the company said in a news release Saturday.
Test results from water samples collected Saturday did not indicate contamination, the release said. It is therefore no longer necessary to boil water, or use bottled water, for drinking, cooking, washing food, making ice cubes or brushing teeth.
Customers with further questions can contact Aqua Ohio at 877- 987-2782.