Boil Water Advisory Issued for Stone Harbor NJ

Residents of Stone Harbor are being advised to boil their drinking water until further notice.

A failed test after a maintenance task signaled the need for the advisory.

According to Borough of Stone Harbor officials, "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."

Officials stress that the advisory is in no way related to COVID-19.

E.coli bacteria can make you sick, though, and boiling water is a necessity. Here's what officials say you should 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.

Steps are being taken to correct the problem, and officials hope to have it resolved by tomorrow (Wednesday, May 26th).

More information on the advisory can be found here.

SOURCE: Borough of Stone Harbor