Boil Water Advisory Lifted in Parts of Montco

Thousands of homes and businesses in Montgomery County no longer need to boil water.

A boil water advisory was issued Tuesday for Pennsylvania American Water customers in parts of Montgomery County hours after more than 18,000 homes and businesses were placed under a water restriction.

On Friday, that precautionary restriction was lifted in East Norriton, West Norriton, Lower Providence, Whitpain, Worcester and Whitemarsh Townships, according to the water company.

According to officials, the recent heavy rain created high turbidity (cloudiness) in the raw water supply which limited the production capacity at the Norristown Water Treatment Plant. A spokesperson for Pennsylvania American Water says the issue began with a deluge that saturated the area on May 1, causing the Schuylkill River to crest in the Norristown area, reaching its fourth highest level in history.

Officials say mud and debris caused serious issues with the treatment process while customer demand made it difficult for the system to keep up.

According to experts, a loss of positive water pressure indicates that there could be contamination.

"A loss of positive water pressure is a signal of the existence of conditions that could allow contamination to enter the distribution system through backflow by back pressure or back-siphonage," said a spokesperson for Pa. American Water in a released statement.

Customers in these areas were advised to not drink the water without boiling it first. Officials also said customers should bring all water to a rolling boil, let it boil for one minute and then cool before using. They can also use bottled water as an alternative.

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