Heads up for you Middlesexers http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/11/boil_water_advisory_issued_in.html

 

The Middlesex Water Company has issued a boil water advisory in Carteret, Edison, Highland Park, Metuchen, South Amboy, South Plainfield and Woodbridge because of a power failure at its New Brunswick intake stations.

 

The company said it is working to restore power, possibly by early Tuesday morning.

 

The following is from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection:

 

"The (DEP) has determined that a potential or actual threat to the quality of water being provided to you currently exists. Therefore until further notice, bring tap water to a rolling boil for one minute and allow to cool before using for consumption; drinking, ice cubes, washing vegetables and fruit, and for brushing teeth. Please continue to boil your water until you are notified that the water quality is acceptable. We also recommend the following steps as of the time of this advisory:

 

• Throw away uncooked food or beverages or ice cubes if made with tap water made after the time of the issuance of this advisory;

 

• Keep boiled water in the refrigerator for drinking;

 

• Rinse hand-washed dishes for a minute in diluted bleach (one tablespoon of household bleach per gallon of tap water) or clean your dishes in a dishwasher using the hot wash cycle and dry cycle.

 

• Do not swallow water while you are showering or bathing;

 

• Provide pets with boiled water after cooling;

 

• Do not use home filtering devices in place of boiling or using bottled water; most home water filters will not provide adequate protection from microorganisms;

 

• Use only boiled water to treat minor injuries.

 

Individuals with severely compromised immune systems, infants, or the elderly may be at increased risk and should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

 

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly, for example people in apartments, nursing homes schools and businesses. You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

 

Please note a boil water advisory is a standard procedure whenever a treatment failure occurs which may compromise the quality of your drinking water."

 

The Middlesex Water Company said it will inform residents when the advisory is lifted.

 

Updates can be found at at www.middlesexwater.com and through the company's Facebook and Twitter site. You can also call the company at (732) 634-1500.

Thanks for this update.