ASPINWALL BOROUGH, Pa. — After an Aspinwall resident reached out about her concerns over the brown water coming from her home’s faucets, Channel 11’s Aaron Martin went straight to the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority for answers.
LoLo Schaffer said she’s hesitant to give any of the water to her 1-year-old daughter, Anouk.
"The first thought was what's going to happen to her? What is going to happen when we brush our teeth and all of this stuff? It's shocking, really shocking,” Schaffer said.%
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The Aspinwall mother said the water in her home has been coming out brown since Memorial Day. She showed Martin a sample on Thursday from three days ago that contained several brown particles settled at the bottom.
Schaffer said the water goes from clear to brown throughout the day.
PWSA spokesperson Brendan Schubert told Martin that an excess of manganese is the cause of the water’s discoloration and said it isn’t a health risk.
"PWSA uses chemicals to help oxidize out the excess manganese in the water since it can start to discolor the water at certain levels. Manganese does not pose a health risk. Treatment limits are set up only to prevent discoloration,” he said.
Schaffer said she still has concerns about whether the water is safe to consume.
"Then to be told it was safe, I'm thinking, ‘Should I pour a glass of water and bring it to you so you can drink it?’” she said.
After the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, that’s impacting the drinking water of thousands of people, Schaffer said she isn’t taking any chances for her daughter’s sake.
"I'm not trusting what they say right this second just because it's been going on for too long. In light of Flint, I don't trust at all,” she said.
Schubert said the PWSA is actively addressing the situation and expects the water to return to its normal color soon.
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