Update: Boil-Water Order Lifted
1 p.m., Feb. 2
The PWSA has lifted its boil-water order and customers are no longer required to boil tap water before consumption.
According to the PWSA announcement, “officials from DEP confirmed that all drinking water requirements are currently being achieved, and there is no longer a potential risk to the drinking water supply.”
As an extra precaution, please let your tap run for 2 minutes before drinking the water and resuming normal procedures.
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11 a.m., Feb. 2
The PWSA boil-water order is still in effect and may last for several more days. You should continue to flush the tap for 1 minute, then boil the water for 1 minute before drinking. The campus community will be notified once the order is eventually lifted.
Please be aware that once the advisory is lifted the water will NOT be suitable for drinking until after PWSA service restoration guidelines are complete, and the university’s water system is safe to use. Dining vendors also will need time to follow PWSA guidelines to restore normal procedures.
As a reminder, there are five campus locations where you can get bottled water. They are:
- Lower level of the Cohon University Center, near the University Store entrance;
- Margaret Morrison Apartments lounge;
- Mudge House lobby;
- Wean Hall, 5th floor lobby; and
- 300 S. Craig Street lobby.
A water distribution center is located in the Morewood Gardens parking lot by the walkway to WQED, and an additional water distribution center will be set up on the East-West Walkway by the Cohon Center later today.
Stay tuned for updates on this site.
You can also follow updates on the PWSA website.
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7 p.m., Feb. 1
All five campus water distribution centers are operational (see locations below). Additional supplies of bottled water were delivered this afternoon and more is on the way for tomorrow.
The distribution locations at Mudge House and Margaret Morrison Apartments will remain open all night. The Wean Hall, Craig Street and Cohon University Center locations will close at 8 p.m.
All locations will be re-stocked tomorrow morning. The Cohon Center location will re-open at 8 a.m. tomorrow and will be the primary site for those on campus needing water early tomorrow morning. The Wean Hall location will re-open at 10 a.m.
The water distribution center in the Morewood Gardens parking lot by the walkway to WQED will be open all night.
An additional water distribution center will be set up by early afternoon tomorrow (Feb. 2) on the East-West Walkway by the Merson Courtyard outside the Cohon Center. Water at the Morewood Gardens and Merson Courtyard sites is being transported to campus from outside the boil-water zone.
Stay tuned for updates on this site.
You can also follow updates on the PWSA website.
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1:45 p.m., Feb. 1
In response to the PWSA precautionary boil-water order, the university has secured nearly 20,000 bottles of water for the campus community and will begin distribution at 2 p.m. today. Please be respectful of others when taking water bottles. Efforts to obtain additional supplies are underway.
Water will be distributed at the following five locations:
- Lower level of the Cohon University Center, near the University Store entrance;
- Margaret Morrison Apartments lounge;
- Mudge House lobby;
- Wean Hall, 5th floor lobby; and
- 300 S. Craig Street lobby.
In addition, the City of Pittsburgh and the PWSA will be setting up a water distribution center in the Morewood Gardens parking lot by 2 p.m. Please bring your own water containers.
Individuals are encouraged to bring bottled water from home, if possible, as the boil-water order is expected to continue for several days.
Please stay tuned for further updates at www.cmu.edu/alert.
You can also follow updates from the What’s Happening section on the PWSA website.
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Update: 10:30 a.m., Feb. 1
Based on new information from the PWSA this morning and to follow an abundance of caution, we are asking the entire campus community to follow the precautionary flush and boil order for drinking water supplies issued last evening.
PWSA is notifying the public that there is no evidence of any bacteria in the system. There is no direct evidence that PWSA’s water is unsafe, but the advisory is required by the DEP due to tests showing low chlorine levels at a single test site.
Please run tap for 1 minute, then boil the water for 1 minute before drinking. All other beverage consumption should be limited to pre-bottled products.
Water fountains will be shut off and signs will be posted in all CMU buildings.
All dining facilities will operate with modified beverage service. Efforts to obtain additional supplies of drinking water are underway.
Updates will be provided when new information becomes available.