Westmoreland County water authority alerts customers after finding high levels of chemical

YOUNGWOOD, Pa. (KDKA) - The Municipal Water Authority of Westmoreland County found high levels of a potentially dangerous chemical in the system, impacting thousands of customers.

it's called haloacetic acid and while the water authority says the levels of the stuff are safe now, folks still need to pay attention. 

According to the MAWC, the issue began back in October when higher-than-normal levels of haloacetic acid were discovered in a sample taken from the Indian Creek water treatment plant in Fayette County in late October. 

Haloacetic acid is a substance created when chlorine is added to the water purification process to help break down organic matter.

MAWC says customers south of Route 30 saw the highest levels. That said, according to the authority, the levels were just above the max acceptable concentration in water. The MAWC sent out notifications to 50,000 of its customers alerting them of the situation.

Customers don't need to do anything like boiling their water or taking other corrective actions. However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.

If you have a severely compromised immune system, have an infant, are pregnant or are elderly, you may be at increased risk and should seek advice from your health care providers about drinking the water.

But John Storey Sr. says he's not concerned because he's got something experts say is a good idea when it comes to situations like this.

"We have a filter on the refrigerator, the water goes through the filter and we do bottled water all the time," he said.  

The water authority said they've since flushed the system and haloacetic acid levels are in the normal range but the warning will be in place for the next three months.