JOHNSTOWN, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The New York State Department of Health issued a boil water advisory for the city of Johnstown, and Mayor Amy Praught hopes to have the advisory lifted by Saturday. According to New York law, if a water treatment facility goes unmanned more than 24 hours, a state issued advisory goes into effect, requiring two separate water tests showing the water is clean and safe to drink.

NEWS10 reached out to local restaurants to see how they were being affected. Dino Vahaviolos, of Romano’s Italian Kitchen, is frustrated after getting through COVID, dealing with staffing issues, and now this. Vahaviolos says a few staple products have had to be adjusted to accommodate the boil water advisory.

“No coffee, or soda fountains so, all of our fountain sodas are not, we are not using them right now so all of customers are going to bottled water or bottled soda,” said Vahaviolos.

And Vahaviolos isn’t too happy with the Johnstown Water Department saying, “The city of Johnstown has ample employees. This is a small municipality of about 8,000 people and I think that a board inside of board is a little excessive.” But he is hopeful there will be resolution, soon.

Mayor Praught says staffing the Water Department has been an ongoing issue since she took office. 

On June 23, a judge gave control of the water system back to the water board. The Mayor telling us her emergency powers were taken away by that ruling.  

She does however hope to have a solution and get the water flowing safely to the city after a special meeting Friday morning.