Boil Water Advisory Has (Finally) Been Lifted for Yardley Area

UPDATE (12/4) - A Boil Water Advisory has been lifted for the Yardley Area, according to officials. The announcement was made early Tuesday morning.

Acceptable test results were obtained from water samples collected on December 2 and December 3. As a result, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has authorized lifting the advisory.

However, officials have some warnings before resuming normal use of the water for those in the affected areas. Customers are advised to flush their household pipes by doing the following:

• Run all cold water faucets in your home for at least five minutes at one time with the highest water flow possible to prevent splashing or flooding of the drains
• Flush automatic ice makers, make three batches of ice and discard; Clean and sanitize ice bin
• Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines specified in the owner’s manual
• Change refrigerator filter cartridge
• Run water coolers with direct water connections for five minutes at the highest flow rate possible
• Drain and refill hot water heaters set below 113°F.
• For home water filter systems, change filter cartridges. Some units need disinfecting. Follow the directions in the unit’s owner’s manual.
• Commercial customers should flush adequately to turn over the water in their plumbing systems, including flushing their automatic ice makers and drinking water fountains.

For more information, you can contact Pennsylvania American Water’s customer service center at 800-565-7292.

ORIGINAL STORY (12/2) - PWAC announced that during a routine check on Thursday (November 29), they discovered that the water in this area had high turbidity levels of 1.7 ntu, which is above the regulatory standard.

The boil water advisory is expected to last through at least Monday (December 3), by the way, according to officials.

As a result of the turbidity level, there’s an increased chance that the water might contain disease-causing organisms in these areas.

To be clear: turbidity itself has no health effects, but it can interfere with disinfection and provide an opportunity for bacteria to grow, viruses and parasites in the water.

If you need water, Pennsylvania American Water will be providing alternate sources. Click here for a complete list of locations where they will be providing water.

Officials report that the boil water advisory should last for several days. So do not drink the water without boiling (for one minute) before using it.

Here are additional notes (to some frequently asked questions) from officials:

• Dishwashers are safe if run on the hot setting
• Water filters such as Brita are NOT effective-use boiled/bottled water
• Clothes washers are safe when they're run using hot water
• Pets should drink the same water that you do.
• Showering is ok, but if you are more comfortable, use boiled/bottled water.
• Coffee makers should use boiled/bottled water.

Officials are working to correct the issue and will notify costumers once the water is safe to drink again.