County: Neville’s water now safe to drink, contamination may have come from fire-fighting foam

Neville Township residents can resume drinking their tap water without concerns over possible contamination by fire-fighting foam, officials said Friday.

A “do not drink” order in place for the roughly 1,000 residents of Neville along the Ohio River northwest of Pittsburgh since earlier this week was lifted Friday afternoon, Allegheny County spokeswoman Amie Downs said.

On Tuesday night, officials warned Neville households not to use their water at all.

On Wednesday, residents were told they could use water to watch their hands and shower but not for drinking or cooking. Officials advised them to use bottled water or obtain water available at the Neville Island Fire Department.

County officials initially said the reason was because of a 2,000-gallon backflow into the water distribution system but did not provide details about the contents of the unanticipated flow.

A public notice issued Friday said the concern stemmed from an industrial fire suppression system that uses fire-fighting foam. Officials had feared the foam or components to it may have entered the system. Testing results found that water quality levels meet all state and federal standards, the notice said.

“The problem has been corrected and the ‘do not drink the water’ restriction has been removed for all customers,” the notice said.

Residents who want more information can contact the state Department of Environmental Protection or Neville Township at 412-264-1977.