Spring Township issues boil water order

The Spring Township Water Authority issued a drinking water warning Monday.

The authority said residents should boil water before drinking it due to increased risk of microbial contamination.

“We routinely monitor the conditions in the distribution system,” a release said. “On Feb. 7, we experienced a loss of positive water pressure due to well problems. A loss of positive water pressure is a signal of the existence of conditions that could allow contamination to enter the distribution system through back-flow by back-pressure or back-siphonage. As a result, there is an increased chance that the water may contain disease-causing organisms.”

The organisms may include bacteria, viruses and parasites that cause symptoms like nausea, cramps, diarrhea and associated headaches.

The authority advised residents to boil water for at least one minute and let it cool before using it for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth and food preparation.

According to township secretary Molly Baird, a pump issue had caused the water level in the township tanks to drop, which created the pressure issue. Workers have been working all weekend to get the pump back up and running, which she said she hoped would be back online Monday.

In order to refill the tanks, she said, the water authority is purchasing water from the Bellefonte borough and having it shipped to the township tanks. R.W. Bird Trucking, of Pleasant Gap, has been tasked with hauling the water.

Because Bird is not an Department of Environmental Protection-permitted hauler, she said, the township issued the boil water notice. Other DEP-permitted trucks were hours away, she said, and Bird was available right away.

Once the water is filled and pumping again, she said, water samples have to be taken over two consecutive days before the notice can be lifted.

Spring Township Water Authority customers were asked to conserve water in mid-January due to a pump issue. Township Manager Bill MacMath said the authority plans on replacing the pump, but could not say when it would be installed.

MacMath said the township has been getting two to three trucks per hour, each carrying about 7,000 gallons per load. The township has two 500,000-gallon tanks that need to be filled.

This story was originally published February 8, 2016 at 2:42 PM with the headline "Spring Township issues boil water order."