DRINKING WATER WARNING

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

OPTION: Bottled water is available at Acme, Walmart, Wawa, Bud’s Market

and Public Works after 10:00 am tomorrow.

Our water system recently conducted maintenance to our water storage tank and failed to perform required volatile organic compound (VOC) and total coliform testing prior to placing the water storage tank back online on May 21, 2021. We have flushed the system so that water from the water storage tank is no longer in the distribution system. However, in absence of total coliform sampling results, we are issuing a boil water advisory until further notice. Total coliform, if present, may be an indicator of E.coli which are a bacteria that can make you sick, and are especially a concern for people with weakened immune systems. As our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we are doing to correct this situation

NOTE: This advisory is NOT related to COVID-19

The World Health Organization has stated that the, “presence of the COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking-water supplies and based on current evidence the risk to water supplies is low.” For additional information on COVID-19 and drinking water, you can refer to EPA’s website: https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-drinking-water-and-wastewater. 

What does this mean?

  • E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Human pathogens in these wastes can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a greater health risk for infants, young children, the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

These bacteria can make you sick and are especially a concern for people with weakened immune systems. Bacterial contamination can occur when increased run-off enters the drinking water source (for example, following heavy rains). It can also happen due to a break in the distribution system (pipes) or a failure in the water treatment process.

What should I do?

  • DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
  • The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice from their healthcare providers about drinking this water.

What is being done?

On Monday, May 24, 2021, we flushed our distribution system so water from the water storage tank is no longer present and we will be collecting the required samples on Tuesday, May 25, 2021. Flushing has addressed concerns of VOCs in the distribution system. Some VOCs can increase your risk for cancer if swallowed or breathed in large amounts over a long period of time. At very high levels, they can cause damage to the nervous and immune systems and to the kidneys and liver. The water storage tank will remain offline and isolated from the system until VOC and total coliform results are available, and the state approves the use of the tank. We will inform you when tests show no bacteria are present in the distribution system and you no longer need to boil your water. We anticipate resolving the problem by Wednesday, May 26, 2021.

For more information, please contact Grant Russ at (609) 368-7311 ext 202 or 80th St & 3rd Ave, Stone Harbor NJ 08247. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by bacteria and other disease-causing organisms are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

*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. *

This notice is being sent to you by Stone Harbor Water Department PWSID#: NJ0510001.

Date distributed: 5/24/2021

NJDEP, RTCR PN-BWA