Capital Region Water is temporarily pumping and treating water from its backup drinking water source, the Susquehanna River. This short-term exercise is an industry best practice used to operate the backup system and confirm its reliability during a potential emergency. Routine use allows Capital Region Water to ensure that both sources are available and can be utilized when needed.

“Our top priority is to protect public health by providing safe, reliable drinking water,” stated Capital Region Water CEO Charlotte Katzenmoyer. “All state and federal drinking water standards will be met during this temporary exercise. While customers with a sensitive palate may notice a slightly different taste, there will be no changes to the quality of water coming through your tap.”

The short-term run will last approximately 14 days. On November 6, 2023, Capital Region Water will transition the full supply back to the primary source, the DeHart Reservoir.

Capital Region Water also reminds all drinking water customers to complete their online survey about the water service line coming into their home or business. This assistance will help ensure compliance with new regulatory requirements. Once completed, the survey will be used to develop an online, interactive map that customers can use to review service line materials throughout the system from main to household.

Capital Region Water continues to achieve a great result in its commitment to clean, safe drinking water. State and federal regulations require the 90th percentile lead level to be less than 15 parts per billion, meaning detected lead must not exceed that level in at least 90 percent of homes sampled. Capital Region Water’s result of 0 parts per billion is well below the required level. For more information about the source of your drinking water and how it compares to federal and state regulatory standards, you can visit the Water Quality Report page on Capital Region Water’s website. Capital Region Water is committed to providing clear information to every customer. If you have any questions, please contact Capital Region Water at 888-510-0606.

EL PROBLEMA DE AGUA POTABLE ESTA CORREGIDO

Customers of Capital Region Water were notified on Friday, October 13, 2023, of a problem with our drinking water and were advised to “BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING”. We are pleased to report that the problem has been corrected and that it is no longer necessary to “BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING”. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

As always, you may contact Capital Region Water at 888-510-0606 or write to 100 Pine Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17103, with any comments or questions. You can also visit capitalregionwater.com to learn more.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by Capital Region Water. PWS ID 7220049 Date distributed: 10/16/23

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

Hiervan el agua antes de usarla.

Este informe contiene información importante acerca de su agua potable.  Haga que alguien lo traduzca para usted, o hable con alguien que lo entienda.

We routinely monitor the conditions in the distribution system. On  Friday, October 13, 2023, we experienced a loss of positive water pressure due to water main break at 803, and 808-824 S. 26^th Street in Harrisburg. A loss of positive water pressure is a signal of conditions that could allow contamination to enter the distribution system through back-flow by back pressure or back-siphonage.  As a result, there is an increased chance that the water may contain bacteria that can make you sick.

What should I do?

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a rolling boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using; or use bottled water.  You should use boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice.

Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.

These symptoms, however, are not caused only by organisms in drinking water but also by other factors. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.

People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their healthcare providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426‑4791.

What happened and what is being done?

A contractor doing work in the city hit a water main, causing a loss of positive pressure.  Efforts were made to isolate the issue and restore normal system level and pressure as quickly as possible.

We will inform you when all corrective actions have been completed and when you no longer need to boil your water.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Robert E. Young Water Services Center, 888-510-0606

100 Pine Dr, Harrisburg, PA 17103

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. This notice is being sent to you by: Capital Region Water, PWS ID#: 7220049      Date distributed: 10/13/23

CUSTOMER INPUT NEEDED TO COMPLETE AN INVENTORY OF ALL WATER SERVICE LINE PIPES

Capital Region Water is asking all drinking water customers to complete an online survey about the water service line coming into their home or business. Assistance with the survey will help to ensure compliance with new regulatory requirements. Capital Region Water remains committed to providing safe, reliable, high-quality drinking water to customers and consumers.

Recent lead and copper rule revisions from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) have been implemented to further reduce the risk of lead exposure from drinking water. The update requires that water service providers build a complete inventory of pipes and service lines in their systems. Service lines are the customer-owned pipes connecting their home or business to the public water main in the street.

All customers who receive their drinking water from Capital Region Water are asked to complete the brief survey. Instructions to locate your water service line and identify the material are provided. Regardless of the pipe material and property details, Capital Region Water needs your response.

“The water Capital Region Water supplies is lead free”, said Charlotte Katzenmoyer, CEO of Capital Region Water. “We routinely test for lead and copper throughout our service territory. Samples are taken directly from customer faucets. But we do know that older homes may still have lead pipes or plumbing fixtures containing lead solder. We need your help in gathering more information to develop projects that will further protect the health of those we serve.”

Capital Region Water has already taken proactive steps to develop and maintain an informal service line inventory having used historical records, on-site investigations, and regularly completed GIS updates on rehabilitation/replacement projects within the distribution system. Now, Capital Region Water is taking the inventory a step further with the deployment of an interactive customer survey to collect information on the service line materials in customer’s/consumer’s home service line.

The new lead and copper rule revisions require all community water systems to submit a service line inventory to PA DEP by October 2024. The inventory will help identify and prioritize the replacement of high-risk materials that could potentially be a source of lead in drinking water.

This survey, once completed by 20,000+ customers, will be used to develop an online, interactive map that shows not just the locations, but also materials, of the service lines in the entire system from main to household. Capital Region Water is proud to report that the most recent lead and copper testing results showed that they met and exceeded all state and federal drinking water standards. The 90th percentile lead level was 0 parts per billion, which well is below the action level of 15 parts per billion. Capital Region Water will continue to test for lead and copper every three years as required by the regulations. The next sample set will begin in 2025.

To learn more about lead and your drinking water, including steps to minimize potential exposure, please visit our website at:  Lead Prevention – Capital Region Water.

The survey, along with instructions on how to test pipe material, can be found at:  Lead and Copper Inventory- Customer Survey (arcgis.com).

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EL PROBLEMA DE AGUA POTABLE ESTA CORREGIDO

Customers of Capital Region Water were notified on Wednesday, August 22, of a problem with our drinking water and were advised to “BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING”. We are pleased to report that the problem has been corrected and that it is no longer necessary to “BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING”. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

As always, you may contact Capital Region Water at 888-510-0606 or writing to 100 Pine Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17103 with any comments or questions. You can also visit capitalregionwater.com to learn more.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by Capital Region Water. PWS ID 7220049 Date distributed: 8/25/23

Addresses:

• 344-357 Nectarine Street
• 1215-1231A/B Kittatinny Street

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

Hiervan el agua antes de usarla.

Este informe contiene información importante acerca de su agua potable.  Haga que alguien lo traduzca para usted, o hable con alguien que lo entienda.

We routinely monitor the conditions in the distribution system. On Wednesday, August 23, we experienced a loss of positive water pressure due to a water main break at 344, 347, 349, 350, 352, 353, 355, 357 Nectarine St and 1215,1217, 1219, 1221, 1223, 1225, 1227, 1229, 1231 Kittatinny St. in Harrisburg. A loss of positive water pressure is a signal of conditions that could allow contamination to enter the distribution system through back-flow by back pressure or back-siphonage.  As a result, there is an increased chance that the water may contain bacteria that can make you sick.

What should I do?

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a rolling boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using; or use bottled water.  You should use boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice.

Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.

These symptoms, however, are not caused only by organisms in drinking water, but also by other factors. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.

People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426‑4791.

What happened and what is being done?

A water main break created a low/no pressure situation at this location. Efforts were made to isolate the leak and restore normal system level and pressure as quickly as possible.

We will inform you when all corrective actions have been completed and when you no longer need to boil your water.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Robert E. Young Water Services Center, 888-510-0606

100 Pine Dr, Harrisburg, PA 17103

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by: Capital Region Water, PWS ID#: 7220049      Date distributed: 8/23/23

CAPITAL REGION WATER ACKNOWLEDGES ANOTHER CLEAN WATER MILESTONE

After many months of negotiation and consideration of public comment, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a Motion to Enter a Modification to the Partial Consent Decree between the United States and PADEP v. Capital Region Water and the City of Harrisburg as a judgement of the court. The motion to approve and enter the Modification occurred yesterday in Federal District Court in Harrisburg.

This Modification to the Partial Consent Decree will guide Capital Region Water’s wastewater and stormwater work for the next decade. Specific plans and projects are required to address alleged clean water violations, primarily due to sewer overflows and the discharge of polluted stormwater into local waterways. The filing establishes a timetable for compliance activity.

“Capital Region Water looks forward to meeting its clean water obligations, as it has since its inception 10 years ago, and ensuring that customers and stakeholders are partners in the process” said Capital Region Water CEO Charlotte Katzenmoyer. ”Projects included in the Consent Decree will have a direct impact on determining customer rates, annual budgets, and system investments. Related construction activity, including community greening projects, can be expected.”

Like many communities across the country, more than half of Harrisburg’s sewer pipes are part of a combined sewer system meaning both sanitary waste and stormwater are collected and conveyed through the same pipes for treatment. During wet weather, the volume of stormwater sometimes exceeds the system’s capacity, triggering an overflow event — called a combined sewer overflow or CSO — from outfall locations along the Susquehanna River and Paxton Creek.

A consent decree (sometimes called a consent order) is a formal agreement created to resolve a dispute without fault. It’s a court order that establishes an enforceable plan for improvement. In 2015, after decades of infrastructure neglect and inaction by previous city administrations, a formal complaint against Capital Region Water and the City of Harrisburg and an agreed-upon Partial Consent Decree were filed in court. The 2015 Partial Consent Decree required specific compliance measures to control discharges from the sewer system, which consists of the combined and separate sanitary sewer collection systems, conveyance and treatment systems, and the municipal separate stormwater sewer system (MS4) within Harrisburg. The intent of the Partial Consent Decree was to allow sufficient time for Capital Region Water to develop an approvable long-term plan; however, it was acknowledged that the inherited system suffered from decades of neglect and disinvestment.

Under the Modification to the Partial Consent Decree, Capital Region Water will achieve full compliance with pollution and stormwater permits. An updated Long-Term Control Plan for CSO capture will be developed and submitted by December 31, 2024. This plan will evaluate the best means to control CSO activity to comply with the Clean Water Act.

Within ten (10) days of the Effective Date (i.e., the date on which the Court accepts the Modification), Capital Region Water will provide a list of all the deliverables and deadlines included in the Modification to the Partial Consent Decree. Capital Region Water will continue to report progress on a semi-annual basis by March 31 and September 30 of each year.

Ongoing information will be available through the website and associated public notification procedures. For more details on the City Beautiful H2O Program Plan, CRW’s integrated plan to restore failing infrastructure, reduce combined sewer discharges, improve the health of local waterways, and beautify our neighborhoods through community greening, please visit our website at: www.capitalregionwater.com/what-we-do/cbh2o/

On July 12, 2023, a collection of municipal interests filed an amicus brief urging the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to ensure that Commonwealth-owned properties pay stormwater fees like ordinary property owners.  A team comprised of the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association (PMAA), the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs (PSAB), the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS), the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Commissioners (PSATC), the Pennsylvania Municipal League (PML), Capital Region Water, the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority, the Borough of Chambersburg, East Hanover Township Municipal Authority, the City of Philadelphia, the City of Lancaster, the City of Lock Haven, the City of Franklin, Susquehanna Township, Mt. Lebanon Township, Ferguson Township, the Borough of State College, and Ebensburg Borough joined together in preparing the brief.

The case, Borough of West Chester v. Pa. State System of Higher Education, saw the Commonwealth Court earlier this year rule that the stormwater charge of a home-rule borough was a tax that the Commonwealth was exempt from paying.  West Chester immediately appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, where the dispute currently continues.

In its opinion, the Commonwealth Court justified its decision to exempt the state agency from paying stormwater bills because it merely burdened the municipal system with runoff rather than receiving a specific benefit.  It also reasoned that West Chester’s stormwater program provided a benefit for everyone.  And, for that reason, tax-exempt entities need not pay.

The decision came as a surprise to the many municipal entities across the Commonwealth implementing stormwater programs to comply with regulatory mandates and meeting the associated funding need.  E. Lee Stinnett II of Salzmann Hughes, P.C.—which represents the above interests in preparation of the brief and serves as Solicitor to several of the involved municipalities—had the following to say: “Across the Commonwealth, municipalities and authorities have planned, managed, and implemented stormwater programs with supporting fees just like any other similar service.  The Commonwealth required these programs to meet its obligations to the EPA under the Chesapeake Bay deal.  Hypocritically, it has refused to pay its fair share and instead is attempting to pass the costs of managing its own stormwater onto ordinary ratepayers.”

In effect, the Commonwealth Court exempted some of the largest contributors of stormwater runoff because they carried a tax-exempt designation.  “When we established the program and supporting fee, we met with residents and business owners throughout Harrisburg to make it as fair as we could,” said Capital Region Water (CRW) Chairman Marc Kurowski—CRW operates, maintains, and improves the water, wastewater, and stormwater systems for Harrisburg and its surrounding communities.  He added, “Under this decision, the Commonwealth still receives the stormwater services we provide but doesn’t have to pay for it.  That’s incredibly difficult to explain to all the other customers who worked with us from the beginning.”

Other issues exist besides fairness.  It is unclear how local municipal entities would restructure their programs to adjust.  Chief Executive Officer, Charlotte Katzenmoyer, explained some of the difficulties: “CRW provides stormwater management services for the Harrisburg area, which is littered with large, paved Commonwealth properties like the Capitol Complex. The Commonwealth not having to pay leaves a huge gap in our budget, and it is highly unlikely the Department of Environmental Protection will soften our permit requirements any time soon.  The simple fact is that compliance costs money.  These logistical problems are being shoved to the most local levels of government to figure out.”

The Borough of West Chester is scheduled to further brief its position in the litigation.  Shortly following, the Commonwealth will present its arguments in favor of upholding the decision.  For additional information, please contact E. Lee Stinnett II at (717) 234 – 6700.

Capital Region Water announced today that the 2023 Drinking Water Quality Report is now available for its customers. The document, commonly called the Consumer Confidence Report, provides information about the quality of drinking water supplied by Capital Region Water in 2022. It also identifies CRW’s source waters, describes its treatment processes, and summarizes compliance with drinking water standards over the past year.

According to the Safe Drinking Water Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires all water suppliers to assess local water quality throughout the year and distribute an annual Water Quality Report. The Water Quality Report includes information about the source of the water (the DeHart Reservoir), any contaminants detected in the water, and how it compares to EPA and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection regulatory standards. CRW’s drinking water professionals perform various tests each day before water leaves the treatment plant and enters the distribution system. Most of these tests are required, however, proactive testing is also performed as a commitment to CRW’s core values and mission to be stewards of our community’s water systems from raindrop to river.

“We are committed to providing our customers with safe and reliable drinking water,” said Charlotte Katzenmoyer, CEO of Capital Region Water. “We encourage our customers to review the report and contact us if they have any questions or concerns.”

The 2023 Water Quality Report was mailed to each drinking water customer and can also be accessed online at Capital Region Water’s website – www.capitalregionwater.com. Customers who do not have access to the internet can request a paper copy of the report by calling the Customer Service Center at (888) 510-0606.

Capital Region Water would like to remind its customers that during the hotter, drier summer months drinking water customers can protect their wallets and CRW water sources by practicing conservation — ensuring that water is being used efficiently while avoiding overuse. Limiting use should also translate to lower water consumption costs in monthly CRW bills.

Although CRW’s water supplies, the DeHart Reservoir and Susquehanna River, are resilient and reliable, voluntary conservation practices are encouraged. Save Money, Save Water through Conservation.

EL PROBLEMA DE AGUA POTABLE ESTA CORREGIDO

Customers of Capital Region Water were notified on Thursday, April 20, 2023 of a problem with our drinking water and were advised to “BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING”. We are pleased to report that the problem has been corrected and that it is no longer necessary to “BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING”. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

As always, you may contact Capital Region Water at 888-510-0606 or writing to 100 Pine Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17103 with any comments or questions. You can also visit capitalregionwater.com to learn more.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by Capital Region Water. PWS ID 7220049 Date distributed: 4/26/23