Neighbors provide help in McKeesport water crisis

By JEFF STITT

jstitt@yourmvi.com

Three women from Mc-Keesport’s Lower 10th Ward say they’re trying to remain positive and keep a sense of humor, but morale is getting low in the neighborhood as residents head into their fifth day under a water advisory.

Barb Girgash, Betty Evans and another neighbor who didn’t want to give her name have been on the phone with the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County, the city and the McKeesport Fire Department in an attempt to ensure Lower 10th Ward residents, many of whom are senior citizens and others who are housebound or “bed-ridden,” have water that is easily accessible.

Following a fire Friday evening at McKeesport Auto Body on Rebecca Street, Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County issued a “do not use” advisory early Saturday morning for Lower 10th Ward customers.

Emergency officials reported firefighting foam may have been sucked into a hydrant during the incident and that the foam contains glycol, as well as Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are synthetic chemicals.

PFAs and glycol in drinking water may be a serious health concern, MAWC said.

Girgash asked MAWC to put a pallet with gallons of water in front of her home on the 500 block of Atlantic Avenue and another pallet with gallon jugs of water was seen down the street. An MAWC employee was seen replenishing those pallets and talking to residents around 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Girgash and Evans have been working to make sure their neighbors have water.

“Sunday was the second day, and we knew Saturday that we were in problems,” Girgash said, adding that she and Evans took a ride to the downtown fire station to get water because bottled water.

“I said to Betty, ‘Put as much as you can in the back of my car because people can’t get over here,’” Girgash said. “We have older people in the community. We have people that are physically challenged and we had people who just didn’t know there was water over there.”

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