Boil drinking water
You might have noticed low water pressure today. New Jersey American water and Somerset County have issued a 24 hr boil water alert. A 60-inch main break occurred late this morning on Weston Canal Road in Franklin Township disrupting water service to customers in parts of Middlesex, Union and Somerset Counties. New Jersey American Water crews are working to isolate the area of impact. Once isolated, pressure should return to residents of the affected area within hours. Information will also be provided on New Jersey American Water’s website at www.newjerseyamwater.com, under the Alerts Notifications section.
BOIL WATER ADVISORY GUIDELINES
The public water supplier in our area may at times need to issue a boil water advisory to general users of the public water system. This may be due to a storm event, water main break, or another form of system disturbance. The following information is provided for residential water users from the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services in the event that your public water supplier issues a boil water notice.
During a Boil Water Advisory
- Do not consume tap water that has not been disinfected, ice or drinks made from tap water that has not been disinfected, or raw foods rinsed with tap water that has not been disinfected.
- Disinfect water by
- Boiling at a rolling boil for 1 minute.
- Filtering through a “reverse osmosis” filter.
- Use safe alternative sources of potable water. These include bottled water, and treated or distilled water.
- Sanitize dishes by washing in a dishwasher that has a dry cycle or a final rinse that exceeds 113 degrees F for 20 minutes, 122 degrees F for 5 minutes or 162 degrees F for I minute.
- Hand-washed dishes should be rinsed for one minute in a dilute bleach solution (1 tablespoon per gallon) and allowed to air dry.
- It is acceptable to wash clothes.
- Provide pets with boiled water after it is cooled.
Upon Removal of a Boil Water Advisory
- Flush household water pipes. As a general guidance, run cold water faucets for three minutes each if they have not been used in the last 24 hours.
- Flush home automatic ice makers. Make three batches of ice cubes and discard all three batches.
- Drain and refill your hot water heater if set at a temperature below 113 degrees F.
- Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle.
Please feel free to contact your local health department, or the Somerset County Department of Health at (908) 231-7155, for further information.
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