Photo Courtesy of CHIEF LOGAN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Cases of bottled water sit in Monument Square waiting to be given away on Sunday, in Downtown Lewistown.

LEWISTOWN — For Craig Bubb, Sundays are normally a day reserved for spending quality time with family. That could mean taking in a ballgame or heading outdoors.

Not this weekend.

For the last 48 hours, the only thing on the Mifflin County Municipal Authority executive director’s mind has been the results of emergency lab testing from the water in the Laurel Creek Reservoir.

The emergency began Friday when a tractor trailer carrying potato chips and pretzels crashed through a guardrail on the Seven Mountains and plunged into the Laurel Creek Reservoir. The driver, Steven Larrabee, 72, of Christiana, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Mifflin County Coroner Andrea Alcalde.

The crash released fuel, oil and other fluids into the reservoir, prompting immediate concern about the county’s primary water source. The truck has since been removed, and cleanup efforts are ongoing.

While no contamination had been confirmed in the treated water, a precautionary “Do Not Drink” notice went into effect at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. MCMA warned customers not to consume tap water under any circumstances until emergency testing was completed.

Around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, MCMA lifted the advisory after test results confirmed the water was safe to drink.

For Bubb, the nightmare had ended. That means that MCMA customers can resume using the water and that there is absolutely no health threat.

“The first sample was taken five minutes after the plant was started up, so if it is clean, it’s always been clean,” Bubb explained.

A “Problem Corrected” notice will be issued once the water is confirmed safe.

Residents line up for bottled water

Mifflin County residents spent Saturday searching for bottled water after the fatal tractor trailer crash into the Laurel Creek Reservoir and a separate electrical failure left the region’s primary water system unable to meet demand without drawing from the potentially contaminated source.

In Lewistown, people began lining up hours before distribution started.

“I want to make sure I can get some,” said Kevin Carroll, who told reporters he needs clean water to manage a medical condition.

Volunteer firefighters and borough officials began handing out cases around 6 p.m. Saturday. A second truckload was en route as crews loaded water into pickup trucks for delivery to Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, according to the Heritage Volunteer Fire Co.

Water distribution continued Sunday in at least two locations at the MCMA office and at Lewistown Police Department.

Additionally, the Chief Logan Volunteer Fire Department, 1800 Glenwood Ave., Lewistown, was giving away free cases of water at the East Derry Station 2 until it is gone.

Backup water source failed overnight

Compounding the crisis, an electrical transformer surge caused “a catastrophic loss to one of the primary alternate water sources,” Bubb said.

Without that backup supply, MCMA could not maintain water levels for all customers unless it resumed drawing from the reservoir — the same reservoir affected by the spill.

Advisory issued ‘out of an abundance of caution’

MCMA emphasized that no contamination has been detected in treated water, but the advisory was necessary until testing confirmed the system was safe.

Residents were instructed to:

Use bottled water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and making ice.

Do not boil tap water, as boiling does not remove chemical contaminants.

Non consumption uses such as bathing, laundry and cleaning are permitted, though customers are urged to limit unnecessary water use.

Schools and businesses respond

Mifflin County School District Superintendent Vance Varner said the district will have safe drinking water for students and staff when school resumes today. “We are also coordinating with food services to ensure meals are prepared and served safely,” Varner said.

Several restaurants and businesses across the region temporarily closed or reduced hours due to the advisory.