Current:Home > reviewsMan's body found in Rochester water supply reservoir was unnoticed for a month, as officials say water is safe to drink -Wealth Evolution Experts
Man's body found in Rochester water supply reservoir was unnoticed for a month, as officials say water is safe to drink
View
Date:2025-04-16 15:25:19
Officials in Rochester, New York, said on Thursday that the dead body found in a reservoir that supplies drinking water to residents earlier this week was a missing person who had been in the water for just under a month. The discovery of the man's body had prompted a temporary boil water advisory.
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said at a press conference that officials discovered the body in the Highland Park Reservoir Tuesday at around 8 a.m. As soon as the body was discovered, Evans said that the reservoir was "shut off and bypassed as part of the city's water distribution system."
"Our testing has shown no issues," Evans said. "...Out of an abundance of caution we have issued a boil water advisory. ... The reservoir will not be back in service until it has been drained and cleaned."
Police said Thursday that the body was identified as 29-year-old Abdullahi Muya, a Rochester resident who had been missing since February and was last seen on Feb. 18. Their investigation found that his body had been in the water for nearly a month after he entered the gated area on Feb. 24.
Abduhahi Muya has been reported missing to the RPD. He is a 29-year-old male who was last seen in the area of Van Aucker St. on Feb. 18th, 2024.
— Rochester NY Police (@RochesterNYPD) March 11, 2024
Height: 5’7’’
Weight: 160-170lbs
dark complexion, black hair, brown eyes, and a beard. Anyone with information Please call 911. pic.twitter.com/jxzmGpGlfk
"After entering the gated area, at approximately 6:30 a.m., Mr. Muya appears to have slid down the side of the reservoir, into the water, where he tragically died," police said. "There was no one else present at the time of Mr. Muya's death and their [sic] does not appear to be any criminal element to this investigation."
Despite the body's prolonged exposure to the reservoir, Evans said on Thursday that water quality tests ordered by the county "confirmed the safety of the water supply." The boil water advisory has also been lifted.
"Our own data collected in the weeks and months prior to that mirrored those findings," Evans said, saying he drank some of the city's water this morning. "As I have always touted, the quality of our water wins awards regularly. So our water was never in question."
The discovery of the body a month after Muya's death "obviously calls into question how could he have not been detected in the reservoir being there that long," Evans said, adding that it's a question "all of us are asking, me in particular." According to the city, the reservoir is inspected daily.
"The bureau is patrolled regularly by city security and water bureau personnel," Evans said, adding that the site is filled with sensitive, high-tech equipment that regularly checks water quality, heat and other items that should, in theory, have been able to detect a disturbance. "And yet, we did not know that Mr. Muya had gotten into the area or that he had entered the water."
Water in the reservoir is 15 feet deep and Muya's body was found "well below the surface," Evans said, within the shadows of the north side of the reservoir. This could explain why he was not before seen, he said.
"Reflection waves and shadows at this specific location can obscure the view of the bottom," he said. "Obviously, this is very traumatic for the water bureau team."
The city is now working on ways to ensure there are no more physical breaches in the future. The process for refilling the reservoir will take place over the next few months, the city said.
- In:
- Water Safety
- Rochester
- Boil Water Advisory
- New York
Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.
veryGood! (6186)
Related
- Meet 11-year-old skateboarder Zheng Haohao, the youngest Olympian competing in Paris
- Georgia governor signs bill into law restricting land sales to some Chinese citizens
- Select list of nominees for 2024 Tony Awards
- Neurosurgeon causes stir by suggesting parents stop playing white noise for kids' sleep
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- Audit finds Wisconsin Capitol Police emergency response times up, calls for better tracking
- 'As the World Turns' co-stars Cady McClain, Jon Lindstrom are divorcing after 10 years
- Mexican officials regret US decision not to retry American rancher in fatal shooting of Mexican man
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- Climber killed after falling 1,000 feet off mountain at Denali National Park identified
Ranking
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- The 4 officers killed in North Carolina were tough but kind and loved their jobs, friends say
- New Jersey seeks fourth round of offshore wind farm proposals as foes push back
- Alabama lawmakers propose compromise on gambling bill with lottery, electronic wagering machines
- Eva Mendes Shares Message of Gratitude to Olympics for Keeping Her and Ryan Gosling's Kids Private
- Trial begins for financial executive in insider trading case tied to taking Trump media firm public
- Fired Google workers ousted over Israeli contract protests file complaint with labor regulators
- Walmart will close all of its 51 health centers in 5 states due to rising costs
Recommendation
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
Encino scratched from Kentucky Derby, clearing the way for Epic Ride to join field
Will Jake Shane Be a Godparent to BFF Sofia Richie's Baby? He Says...
2 die when small plane crashes in wooded area of northern Indiana
Travis Hunter, the 2
Oregon Man Battling Cancer Wins Lottery of $1.3 Billion Powerball Jackpot
US to test ground beef in states with dairy cows infected with bird flu. What to know.
US House votes to remove wolves from endangered list in 48 states