Utility Altered Water Treatment Chemicals Without Approval

PITTSBURGH (AP) — State environmental officials found that the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority altered its water treatment chemicals without approval, although there is so far no evidence that this move has caused any public health risk.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/2lSlhMo ) this is the second time in three years that the PWSA has been accused of making unauthorized changes to its treatment chemicals.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection says state inspectors conducted a review of the PWSA’s main treatment plant along the Allegheny River on Jan. 6 that discovered that the facility was using ferric chloride and caustic soda as coagulating agents in place of lime.

An investigation into whether the public’s health was jeopardized is ongoing.

A PWSA spokesman declined to comment on the DEP’s findings.