After years of dealing with rashes, headaches, and other ailments, a Pennsylvania woman is pushing for closer scrutiny of the water coming from her tap, and that effort is now leading to additional testing.
According to TribLive, 68-year-old Cathie Muzelak, who lives in Fairfield Manor Mobile Home Park near Bolivar, has spent years seeking answers from state officials and the property owner about the community's private well system.
Here's what to know
Muzelak said she first became concerned after seeing water that looked discolored and felt gritty, and she later developed rashes, urinary tract infections, headaches, night sweats, and other health problems.
She said she eventually paid for private lab testing on her own, and the results suggested the presence of microbacteria.
After receiving a complaint, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection inspected Fairfield Manor's water in 2024, spokeswoman Laina Aquiline said.
She said inspectors detected manganese, a "secondary contaminant" that can affect color, taste, or odor but "does not pose a direct health risk at regulated levels." The DEP has required quarterly manganese sampling and is deciding whether additional treatment is necessary.
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Residents and outside advocates say that is not enough.
Dr. Ned Ketyer, a public health advocate with the Environmental Health Project, said microbacteria in drinking water can be dangerous: "There really needs to be more investigation."
More background
The situation reflects a familiar challenge for renters and mobile home residents. When essential systems such as water infrastructure are controlled by a landlord or park owner, residents often have little power to make improvements on their own.
Across the country, renters have often faced rules that block money-saving choices, including growing food in gardens or hanging clotheslines to dry laundry, even when those steps could help lower household expenses.
Fairfield Manor owner Anthony Acierno said he has followed DEP requirements and spent $18,000 to clean and reline water tanks to help reduce iron levels.
"We test daily and test for multiple types of bacteria and metals," Acierno said.
Former residents, however, say they noticed a difference after leaving.
Leo McGinnis, who moved away with his partner, Kathaleen Mikolich, and their children in 2023, said, "We felt better after moving out of the mobile home park."
What's being done?
Ketyer said Pennsylvania should go beyond minimum testing standards by screening the water for PFAS, pesticides, herbicides, arsenic, heavy metals, and microbacteria. He also helped arrange for Duquesne University testers to collect additional samples in August, though he said results could take months to come back.
And for renters hoping to work with landlords to change restrictive rules around healthier, lower-cost living, starting with a formal process may help.
Muzelak said she is encouraged that the issue is finally getting more attention.
"We want justice, and we want the water cleaned up," Muzelak said.
Where can I learn more?
Water contamination concerns often raise other issues too, especially around who can afford testing and who has the authority to fix problems on a property. These articles look at similar challenges, from private well owners facing PFAS screening costs to residents caught in contamination disputes.
• In Virginia, neighbors are helping cover $300 PFAS tests for private well owners.
• A resident grew alarmed after a neighbor's wood-waste smoke filled rooms and raised health fears.
Getting clear answers about environmental hazards at home is often expensive, slow, and complicated. That helps explain why Fairfield Manor residents are pushing for broader testing now.
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