Belleville officials announced that the water system recently violated a drinking water requirement.
Although this situation does not require that you take immediate action, officials would like to inform residents what happened, what you should do, and what we they did to correct the situation.
"We routinely monitor for disinfectant residual in the distribution system. This measurement tells us whether we are effectively disinfecting the water supply. Disinfectant residual is the amount of chlorine or related disinfectant present in the pipes of the distribution system. If the amount of disinfectant is too low, organisms could grow in the pipes."
During the months of June 2016 thru October 2016, disinfectant residual was undetectable in more than 5% of samples. The standard is that disinfectant may be undetectable in no more than 5% of samples each month for two months in a row.
**What should I do?**
There is nothing you need to do. You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.
If you have a severely compromised immune system, have an infant, are pregnant, or are elderly, you may be at increased risk and should seek advice from your health care providers about drinking this water. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
**What does this mean?**
This is not an emergency. If it had been, you would have been notified within 24 hours. Tests taken during this same time period did not indicate the presence of bacteria in the water.
“Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches”.
These symptoms, however, are not caused only by organisms in drinking water, but also by other factors. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.
**What is being done?**
We are sampling the treated water we purchase from the Newark Water Department for disinfectant levels and presence of coliform bacteria.
Disinfectant residual levels since November 2016 have been improving as the temperature of the water we purchase from the Newark Water Department decreases.
For more information, please contact Thomas J. Herits PE PP PLS at 973-450-3414 or 152 Washington Avenue, Belleville, NJ 07109.