Horsham Township remains under boil water advisory

HORSHAM TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- A boil water advisory is in effect, and in order to ease nerves and concerns Horsham Township officials handed out water at the library. Residents had to bring their own containers to have them filled up.

Some say the news is a bit unsettling.

"I was shocked. I thought in this day and age it doesn't happen. But what are you going to do? We are drinking bottled water and showering quickly," said township resident Ralph Kahn.

The boil water alert was issued Thursday, and as a result the Hatboro-Horsham School District canceled classes on Friday.

Residents are advised to use bottle water or boiled water for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and preparing food.

The Horsham Water and Sewer Authority says it's still OK for people to wash their hands, take a bath or a shower.

"It is definitely an inconvenience but I don't think it is anything to panic about. We took precautions and used boiled water to brush our teeth. But the kids showered and we used the dish washer and it is just one of those things," said resident Katie Bailey.

Officials say the notice was issued because of a malfunction of the disinfection system at one of the operating wells, which caused chlorine levels to drop.

The Horsham Water and Sewer Authority tells Action News the issue has been resolved, but says residents should boil their water just as a precaution.

"I got some water for the dog. We have been drinking the bottle water ourselves, but I did get a call at 5 o'clock, a robo call, and I am glad I got that, but I am a little concerned about the time prior because we were drinking the water from the house," said Patty Calvanese.

The water authority is still testing the water to make sure there has been no contamination. There is no evidence of that so far. They expect the advisory to be lifted by Saturday morning.

Officials say bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

------

Send a News Tip to Action News

Learn More About 6abc Apps