UNION TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Crews spent the weekend cleaning up along Elrama Avenue in Union Township, Washington County, after a water line break left dozens of homes without service and thousands of customers under a boil water advisory.
RELATED COVERAGE >>> Boil water advisory issued for around 95,000 Pennsylvania American Water customers
The break happened late Friday night in front of the volunteer fire department in Union Township.
Officials say a 48-inch water line broke just after 11:20 p.m., sending water across the roadway and creating dangerous icy conditions.
At least 90 customers in the immediate area lost water service.
Nearly 95,000 Pennsylvania American Water customers across Washington County and southern Allegheny County were placed under a boil water advisory.
Jefferson Hills resident Lajunta White said the situation has forced her to get creative at home.
“It is a hardship for everybody,” White said. “We wish this doesn’t happen, but what are you gonna do?”
White said she has been using a water purifier, boiling the water, and storing it in jugs to get through the advisory.
The impact followed her to work as well.
White, who works at a hotel, said staff had to switch entirely to bottled beverages for guests.
“We couldn’t put the water on the pitchers in the water glasses,” she said. “So we got all kinds of bottled water and pops, pretty much anything you want.”
Pennsylvania American Water said the advisory was triggered by a power surge at a nearby treatment plant.
The surge caused low water levels in a storage tank, prompting concerns about possible system contamination.
Several businesses in the area closed as crews worked to repair the line and clear the ice.
At least one vehicle was damaged. Photos provided to Channel 11 showed a vehicle submerged in water outside the Elrama firehouse.
While White said the extra steps have not been a major inconvenience for her, she worries about others who may be struggling.
“I feel bad for the elderly because it might be a little harder for them to do some of this stuff,” she said.
Officials hope to lift the boil water advisory by Sunday evening.
The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services of Washington County supported first responders at the break Friday night.
On Saturday, the organization delivered pallets of bottled water and a refilling station for communtiy members. It also supplied flood cleanup kits that will be distributed to families.
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