Boil Water Advisory Issued for Parts of Mississippi & Pennsylvania

Part of the water system in Jackson, Mississippi lost water pressure, leading to a boil water advisory for 200 customers. Although it is near the affected area, Walton Elementary is not included in the advisory. The low water pressure could cause water contamination so the advisory will be in effect until pressure is restored.

After nearly a week with potentially contaminated water due to a broken water line, the boil water advisory in Ambridge, Pennsylvania has finally been lifted. The extended boil water advisory was a serious struggle for residents. Town leaders handed out at least 68,000 bottles of water to those affected, and the entire Ambridge School System operated virtually instead of in-person because the water in the school buildings was not safe to drink.

Elementary School in Carlsbad, CA Cleared to Reopen After Closing for Water Contamination Concerns

After closing for several days due to concerns about potential water contamination, Hope Elementary School in Carlsbad, California has been cleared to reopen. In late February, a memo from the Carlsbad Unified School District notified the city about “a suspicion that the domestic water lines at Hope Elementary were crossed with reclaimed water irrigation lines on campus.” According to Water Quality Products Magazine, students were sent home right away and all water was shut off on campus.

The cross connection was then fixed, and the entire plumbing system in the school was purged with chlorinated water. After sitting overnight and being flushed with potable water, tests determined that the water at the school was now safe to drink.

Contamination Continues to Be Found in Hawaii Water Despite Navy’s Decontamination Efforts

After weeks of purification efforts, the Navy reports that there is still contamination found in the water supply at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii. According to Military Times, “about 9,000 households have been affected by the fuel-tainted water in the Navy water system.” By early March, the water in only four of 19 neighborhoods had been deemed safe for residents to use.

Study Shows PFAS Pollution Has Caused Contamination in US Drinking Water Wells

A study by the US Geological Survey “detected PFAS chemicals in 20% of private wells and 60% of public wells sampled in 16 eastern states” according to The Guardian. The study shows how widespread the PFAS contamination is in the US well water system. Newer, shallow aquifers tended to have more PFAS contamination because they “cycle in contaminated surface water or rain” while older, deeper wells were “shielded from contaminated precipitation” and tended to have less PFAS.