Residents in Piscataway, NJ have been issued a boil water advisory, which will remain in effect until further notice, following a break in the town’s main water line.
Town officials first notified residents of the “significant” 48-inch break late Monday morning, and a road was closed while repairs were underway.
Locals were told that water pressure had been affected, and that crews were working as quickly as possible to fix the issue.
The water main is located on Possumtown Road and serves parts of Somerset, Union Counties and Middlesex.
Town officials released a later statement informing residents that Possumtown Road would be closed for at least 3 days while repairs were underway.
In a further video update, the town’s mayor, Brian C. Wahler, said:
“If you’re experiencing no water or low pressure in Piscataway, or South Edison, or so many other communities surrounding, this is the reason why.”
The video shows the significance of the pipe break. Water, flowing at a high pressure, has eroded away some of the roadbed.
The mayor asked that residents conserved their water usage and boiled their water before using it for cooking or drinking while crews worked on locating the shutoff valve and repairing the line.
An official mandatory boil water advisory was then released later on Monday night.
The notice reads:
“As a result of loss of water pressure from a transmission main leak along Possumtown Road in Piscataway, N.J., New Jersey American Water has issued a mandatory boil water advisory to customers in the following towns:
- Clark
- Dunellen
- Edison
- Green Brook
- Linden
- Middlesex
- Piscataway
- Roselle
- South Plainfield
A potential or actual threat to the quality of water being provided to the above areas currently exists. As a precaution, we are implementing a limited Boil Water Advisory until testing of the water supply is deemed satisfactory. New Jersey American Water will provide information as to when the advisory is lifted.”
In a further update, town officials directed residents to the Little League fields main parking lot, where bottled water was being handed out on a first-come-first-serve basis.
As of today (Wednesday, 03 August), the boil water advisory still stands.
To learn what to do when a boil water advisory is issued, click here.
