Body found in Highland Reservoir affects Rochester water supply

On Feb. 18, 2024, 29-year-old Abdullahi Muya was reported missing to the Rochester Police Department. Over a month later, on Tuesday, March 19, at around 8:00 a.m., the staff of the Highland Park Reservoir noticed Muya’s body below the water, and a police scuba team recovered it thereafter. While the reservoir is fenced, it is rumored that Muya climbed over the fence and then slid down into the water, leading to his death. As of now, there are no suspicions of criminal intent involved in Muya’s death, as nobody seemed to be present at the time of his death. 

Since the body of water in which Muya was discovered institutes the drinking water for the City of Rochester, the Mayor of Rochester, Malik Evans, enacted a temporary boil water warning—a water advisory that indicates the community's water has or could have germs that can cause illness for the neighborhoods that would seemingly be affected. Residents, therefore, could not use or drink the infected water under any circumstances without boiling it to guarantee they were safe and unaffected by this incident. 

The water advisory lasted from Tuesday afternoon and was officially lifted on the morning of Thursday, Mar. 21. Even under the unfamiliar circumstances, Evans seemed calm and sure that the water complied with federal guidelines and that the advisory was only precautionary. The consistent water data that was collected over the past months, along with Muya’s body did not indicate any concerns about the quality of the water. Despite multiple recommendations for the reservoir to receive coverage, Evans believes that through consistent and strict testing, the water will continue to meet guidelines. Still, this incident has prompted questions about how safe the uncovered water is. Evans stated, “I will tell you that this incident does, I believe, bring into stark relief the necessity or conversation about covering that reservoir."

Yet, Evans has stated that the sensors enclosed by the reservoir are “so sensitive, it can even alert when a wind storm is coming.” Thus, this has led Evans to the major question of why none of the sensors detected Muya’s body in the water. It seems to have been established that even though Muya was in the water, the reservoir goes 15 feet deep in an area where Muya's body went undetected by the sensors. Additionally, between the waves and reflections the water creates, it may have been nearly impossible for any staff to view Muya’s body or identify any concerns.  

In addition to worrying about the people living in Rochester, Evans discussed Muya’s family, stating in a conference, “Somebody lost a family member, and obviously the investigation will look into how - how did this happen? It's really a tragedy, and our hearts go out to the families.” 

For the next few months, the city is consistently working on ways to prevent any other violations within the reservoir and refilling the water to further ensure health and safety in the surrounding area.