Many people are concerned about changes in taste and smell in tap water in 67 towns across six counties in New Jersey.
New Jersey American Water is working to fix the problem after receiving complaints from residents across Morris, Somerset, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Union counties.
The utility company started flushing hydrants to clear the system and determine what was causing the issue.
The company first heard about the problem earlier this week when people reported changes in their water.
They began testing water from the source, different points in the treatment process, and places throughout the distribution system.
Early test results show the water meets primary safety standards, but more testing is still being done to make sure everything is okay.
While there is no immediate health concern, people have noticed differences in how their water tastes and smells.
Hydrant flushing started on Wednesday night to help clear the water system; the process removes sediment or old water that might be causing the problem.
While it’s effective, it can also temporarily cause some residents to experience low water pressure or discolored water.
Thus, if your water is discolored, you should run cold water from the lowest tap in your house for three to five minutes until it clears up.
The issue is affecting a large number of towns, including:
- Belle Mead
- Berkeley Heights
- Bound Brook
- Bridgewater
- Branchburg
- Chester
- Clark
- Cranbury
- Cranford
- Dunellen
- Edison
- Fanwood
- Far Hills
- Flagtown
- Flemington
- Franklin Township
- Garwood
- Gladstone
- Green Brook
- Hightstown
- Hillsborough
- Hillside
- Hopewell Borough
- Hopewell Township
- Jamesburg
- Kenilworth
- Kingston
- Lawrence
- Linden
- Manville
- Martinsville
- Middlesex
- Millstone
- Monroe Township
- Montgomery
- Mountainside
- Neshanic Station
- New Providence
- North Plainfield
- Peapack
- Piscataway
- Plainfield
- Plainsboro
- Pottersville
- Princeton
- Princeton Junction
- Raritan Borough
- Raritan Township
- Readington
- Roselle
- Roselle Park
- Scotch Plains
- Somerset
- Somerville
- South Brunswick
- South Plainfield
- South Bound Brook
- Tewksbury
- Three Bridges
- Union
- Vauxhall
- Warren
- Watchung
- West Windsor
- Westfield
- Whitehouse
- Whitehouse Station
New Jersey American Water has promised to continue working hard to fix the issue and restore the water to normal.
The company thanked residents for being patient and understanding while they sorted everything out.
They also said they will keep testing and monitoring the water to make sure it stays safe and clean.
And if people are still having problems with their water, they can contact New Jersey American Water for help and advice.
That said, the company will continue updating the public as they work to solve the problem.
This situation shows how important it is to keep water systems in good shape and check them regularly so everyone has clean and safe water.
While this may be frustrating for some, the company reassures customers that their safety is not at risk.
With ongoing efforts to fix the problem quickly, water quality is expected to return to normal soon.