The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) is advising the public to stay out of area waterways for 48 hours, following a full power outage at the wastewater treatment plant that occurred between 6 – 8 p.m. this evening.

ALCOSAN was unable to process wastewater for roughly two hours, causing the plant’s wet well filled to capacity. As with other overflow events, this resulted in a discharge into the river.

Duquesne Light was contacted and arrived immediately on site to restore power to the facility.

All partnering water agencies have been notified, as well as state regulatory authorities including the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP).

As with combined sewer overflow (CSO) advisory procedures, recreational users are cautioned to limit contact with river water when boating, fishing, water skiing, or engaging in other river recreational activities for 48 hours.

ALCOSAN will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates if additional information becomes available.