originally posted on September 16, 2016

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio –

A boil alert has been lifted for Youngstown Water Department customers living on the East Side.

The department reported Saturday that all drinking water samples have been examined and found to be non-contaminated.

Homes and businesses east of Liberty and Early Roads lost water pressure due to a power outage Thursday morning.

Martin Luther King Elementary and P. Ross Berry Middle schools were impacted by the power outage and the low water pressure.

Youngstown Schools CEO Krish Mohip tells 21 News that he was notified about the situation late Thursday morning and was prepared to load the students on buses and take them to to a location where water and power was available.

However, Mohip says water department officials told him that power would soon be restored, and he decided to keep the schools in session.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is now requiring that all cities follow this procedure for all depressurization of drinking water lines.