Apr 9, 2022 2 min read

About 4,000 people in Southeastern Greene County have been under a boil-water advisory for almost a month due to filtration problems at the East Dunkard Water Authority’s treatment plant in Dilner, and State Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Jefferson, met this week with members of the authority’s board this week to determine how the advisory can be lifted.

In a news release, Snyder said, “I’m committed and eager to secure the necessary state funds so that this system can deliver water that is safe to consume.”

The boil-water advisory went into effect March 11 and was the result of “treatment breakdowns” at the authority’s facility, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). It was the second time this year customer’s have been under a boil-water advisory, with the first happening between Jan. 25 and Feb. 11. The authority provides water to residents in Dunkard and Greene townships, and parts of Cumberland, Monongahela, Perry and Whiteley townships.

The authority has applied for more than $3 million in funding from state and local entities to try to make repairs to the system. Members of the authority’s board have also been conducting weekly meetings with the public throughout the advisory.

Four members of the authority’s board have joined in the last three months, and it also a new engineer. Snyder explained, “This current board didn’t create these problems. But they must be applauded for stepping up to try and fix them.”

The problem has been pinpointed to high turbidity readings at the Dilner treatment plant. High turbidity readings mean that bacteria within water cannot be as treated as effectively with chlorine, and customers can end up with headaches or feel nauseated as a result. The authority has been required to submit daily monitoring data to the DEP.

Two consecutive days of bacteriological testing must be completed before the advisory can be lifted.