Boil water advisory in effect for some Burlington County residents
Use boiled or bottled water for drinking, ice, brushing teeth, and washing dishes until further notice.
PEMBERTON TWP., New Jersey (WPVI) -- Residents living in Pemberton Township, New Jersey are under a boil water advisory.
The township says E. coli has been detected in the water.
Officials say do not drink the water without boiling it first.
Use boiled or bottled water for drinking, ice, brushing teeth, and washing dishes until further notice.
"We anticipate resolving the problem Tuesday, June 28, 2022," the township said it a notice to residents.
Full notice from the township:
DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST
Our water system recently detected E. coli within the distribution system. Routine sample(s) were collected on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, and repeat samples collected on Thursday, June 23, 2022, confirmed the presence of E. coli. As our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we are doing to correct this situation.
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 systems. 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?
We are completing a comprehensive assessment of our water system and of our monitoring and operational practices to identify and correct any causes of the contamination. We will inform you when tests show no bacteria are present, and you no longer need to boil your water. We anticipate resolving the problem Tuesday, June 28, 2022.
For more information, please contact Andrew Vanderham at 609-894-3373. 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.
This notice is being sent to you by Pemberton Township Main Water System, PWSID# 0329004 on June 24, 2022.
