MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania American Water said Wednesday that it is continuing to ask customers in the Mechanicsburg area to reduce their water usage after a leak from an underground tank was found to be affecting the Conodoguinet Creek in Silver Spring Township on Tuesday.
Roughly 42,000 customers in parts of Silver Spring Township, Hampden Township, Lower Allen Township, Lemoyne Borough, Wormleysburg Borough, East Pennsboro Township, New Cumberland Borough, Fairview Township, Shiremanstown Borough, Camp Hill Borough and Newberry Township are affected, the water company said.
On Tuesday, residents near the creek reported noticing a strange odor and a sheen on the creek's waters. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection responded and discovered that a 10,000-gallon underground tank located at the Cumberland Perry Area Career and Technical Center was the source of the issue.
Efforts to address the issue are continuing, the DEP said.
On Tuesday, Pennsylvania American Water asked customers in the area to limit their water usage to essential purposes only.
"The water is safe to use and drink as normal," the company said Wednesday. "Yesterday, we took our Silver Spring Water Treatment Plant offline in response to contamination of the Conodoguinet Creek. As a result, we are asking customers to continue reducing water usage by 10-15% until further notice.
"Production has been increased at our West Shore Water Treatment Plant, which also serves the Mechanicsburg system, and we have opened emergency interconnections with two neighboring water providers to help meet the system’s water demand. We are working with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to determine when water from the Conodoquinet Creek will be safe to use again."
When conditions improve, the company said, customers will be notified through an automated emergency notification system that the mandatory conservation notice is lifted.
In the meantime, PA American Water said it will continue providing updates, as needed, through the notification system and on the alerts page of its website.