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York Co. residents remain worried over odor and taste of water

Despite reassurance from The York Water Company that the water is safe and healthy to drink, not everyone is so sure.

YORK, Pa. — Update: Over the weekend, FOX43 tested water samples from York residents concerned about the taste and odor coming from their tap water. The tests from Richwill Drive and Market Street in York came back negative for coliform bacteria.

It confirms what the York Water Company has been saying about the water being safe, despite the bad smell. Earlier this month, the company said it was "adjusting its chemical treatment process" to address the issue.

FOX43 performed the test after hearing from a man who said his water tested positive, and that he and his neighbors all experienced stomach aches, headaches, and diarrhea before switching off the tap water.

He says when he contacted York Water, the company gave him a list of reasons why his home test may have been inaccurate.

Here is the updated statement from the York Water Company: 

York Water is aware that some of our customers are experiencing taste and/or odor in their water that is different than...

Posted by The York Water Company on Friday, August 18, 2023

Previous: Complaints continue to pour in over the odor and taste coming from taps in York County. Despite reassurance from The York Water Company that the water is safe and healthy to drink, not everyone is so sure.

"We don't drink anything out of the faucet when we brush our teeth with it," York resident Jason Austin said. 

Austin said noticed the change earlier this month, noting that he didn't think much of it after putting the water through filtration systems.

However, it wasn't long before he and his wife reportedly started to feel ill.

"We started having stomach aches, headaches," Austin said. "The dogs started having diarrhea."

He decided to test his water after talking to his neighbors, who he says were complaining about the same problems.

"The only one that came back with an issue was the bacteria test," Austin said holding a vile of blue-green water. "It was positive for coliform bacteria."

Austin is one of the many people who voiced concern on social media.

In a Facebook post, the company said it had "initiated enhanced treatment." FOX43 reached out to York Water to get more details on that process and to address the continued complaints and did not receive a reply by our 5 p.m. deadline Thursday.

Complaints of an odor and smell are spread throughout York County, from Dallastown to Mt. Wolf. Jacob Scoggin, who lives on Market Street in York, says 

"I started smelling it. And I was like, ‘There's something wrong with this water,'" Scoggin said. "[It was] just very mildewy, like you're drinking from a pond or something."

When Austin reached out regarding his home tests, the company said his kit was not as accurate as their own testing, and provided a list of reasons it may be invalid.

Still, he’s proceeding with caution.

"We're paying for water that's coming into our homes that I can't use and I won't use because something's clearly wrong," Austin said. 

FOX43 grabbed our own samples. One from Austin’s residence and one from a residence on Market Street. The home test kits will take roughly 48 hours to get the final results.

Download the FOX43 app here.

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