'Cruel And Unusual': McKeesport Residents Struggling To Make It By After Days Without Clean Water

MCKEESPORT (KDKA) -- Hundreds of residents in McKeesport are still without clean water.

Crews were working to fix the issue yesterday but ran into some problems.

However, as of Sunday night, the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County has informed residents that the Do Not Use Advisory will last "at least a week."

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They say it will take that long to test results and certify that the water is safe for all uses.

Some residents in the area are struggling to make it without.

With contamination levels still potentially looming in the McKeesport water system, Travis Holmes has had to go to extremes since losing water two days ago.

"I had to rent a room for an hour or two just to take a shower, me and my son," said Travis Holmes, a McKeesport resident.

He said the water on his street was turned off completely.

Inside his home are gallons of store-bought water jugs he uses to continue working.

Neighbors make group trips to the water buffalo in the area so they can get by.

"I do cooking for a living, so I can't cook if I'm not washing. We can't wash clothes, so I don't have any work clothes," Holmes said.

To make matters worse, the water department came by Saturday with more frustrating news.

"She said the water could be off for three days, Ms. Leslie said she heard five days, but the lady said she was just telling us what she was told," he added.

Leslie Nichols is his next-door neighbor, and she's facing problems of her own.

"It's been pretty hard to do normal things. And when you're a clean person, it's pretty hard to keep your body clean, your house clean," said McKeesport resident Leslie Nichols. "It's pretty cruel and unusual that we don't have any water and on the news, they're stating we can flush our toilets and we can't even do that."

For the time being, neighbors are bearing the burden without clean water and are counting on anything to get them by.

"Any way possible, any way possible. Gotta make it through," Holmes said.

Residents said at this point it's a waiting game.

As a result, the MAWC is offering showers at the McKeesport Area High School beginning on Monday between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Those in need are asked to use the right-hand entrance to South Hall near the gym.