Columbia Water Company issued a “Do Not Consume” order for customers of Columbia Water Company due to potential contamination of the drinking water supply. It was discovered today that a break-in occurred over night at one of the storage tank/pumping station locations.

At this time, it is unknown if the water in the storage tank was tampered with. The notice applies to all customers of Columbia Water Company except those in the Marietta Division. Do not drink the water until further notice.

Customers are asked to not use the water for drinking, cooking, food preparation, oral hygiene or providing to pets until further notice. Throw away any ice cubes made with tap water after 3:30 p.m. on March 13th. The water can be used for sanitary purposes such as bathing and washing. For specific health concerns, a doctor should be consulted.

Alternative water supplies are being provided by Columbia Water Company. Columbia Water will be providing a water tanker to residents as needed. The water tankers will be stationed at the Columbia Shopping Plaza and the Columbia Shopping Center. Customers will need to provide their own containers to transport water.

The storage tank that was possibly tampered with has been isolated at this time. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is conducting sampling of the tank and the distribution system to identify any potential contamination. The tank will be drained after sampling has been conducted.

Columbia Water Company anticipates resolving the problem within 3-5 days. Notice will be issued when the problem is resolved and this advisory has been lifted. For more information visit the Columbia Water Company website at www.columbiawaterco.com or call Columbia Water at 717-684-2188.

The article above provided by the Columbia Water Company.