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Westmoreland City leaders defend boil-water advisory, discuss booster pumps and improved notifications
Summary
Residents pressed city leaders for clearer testing data and timelier notices after a recent water main break; councilors said state-recommended steps were followed, and discussed permanent chlorine boosters, system flushing and new notification tools such as Everbridge.
Westmoreland City leaders and residents spent the bulk of a council meeting debating the city's response to a recent water main break and a resulting precautionary boil-water advisory.
A resident who addressed the council during public comment said she wanted clarity on procedures after a main break and on testing protocols: "I'd like to know what the standard operating procedure is for when a water main breaks in our town, how and when the water is typically tested" and asked why the boil-water notice was posted late at night. The resident also asked whether the city tests with strips or digital devices, what current chlorine levels are, and whether customers would be expected to bear the cost of improved notification systems.
Council members and staff said the city followed state guidance and described both short- and longer-term responses. A council member summarized the public-health rationale: "It's a precautionary. Just go ahead and boil your water," urging continued boiling until state authorities clear the system. City representatives said the water main was repaired, lines were flushed and samples taken; those actions prompted discovery of low chlorine residuals in parts of the distribution system rather than a detected contaminant.
Officials described technical measures under consideration. Staff said they have explored a chlorine booster that would automatically measure and dose chlorine into storage tanks and noted mixers already installed in tanks help distribute residuals more evenly. City staff also reported that a recently upgraded transmission line (from 16- to 22-inch) changed flow dynamics and may have contributed to uneven chlorine residuals; a temporary booster is in place at one location while staff obtain pricing for a permanent installation. The city said it had contacted USG (the vendor that maintains towers and meters) about a booster option.
On communications, councilors and staff reviewed options for more timely customer alerts, including automated voice messages and mass text or call systems, and mentioned Everbridge as one vendor the county uses. The council acknowledged barriers: some residents lack email or do not receive texts, and many notification platforms require residents to opt in. The Chief said he would "check-in to different sources" and follow up about which systems could be used and what the city could push out in coordination with the county.
Council members asked staff to return with more data and for Aaron (the on-call water staff named in the discussion) and other operations personnel to brief the council when available. The council also proposed a work study to evaluate a new communication system to improve citywide notice procedures.
The discussion closed with the council directing staff to continue flushing and testing the distribution system under state guidance and to report back on notification options and pricing for a permanent booster.
What happens next: staff will follow up with technical and cost information for a permanent booster and a communications work study; the boil-water advisory remains in place until state authorities notify the city it can be lifted.
