Politics & Government

Boil-Water Restriction Lifted for Little Silver, Oceanport

Tap water is now safe for consumption in Little Silver and Oceanport.

As of Sunday evening, and t are among the 18 towns that have been eliminated from boil-water advisory that came after the collapse Friday of three large water pipes at the Swimming River Reservoir in Tinton Falls, an announcement from Monmouth County said.

The lifting of the restriction came on the heels of assessments this afternoon by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and county Office of Emergency Management in conjunction with New Jersey American Water Co. (NJAWC).

For towns in which the boil water restriction has been lifted, customers are encouraged to:

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• Run all cold water faucets in your home for one minute at one time at the highest flow rate that you can without causing splashing or flooding of drains.
• To flush automatic ice makers, make three batches of ice and discard.
• Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle.  Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines specified in the owner’s manual.  
• Run drinking water fountains for one minute at the highest flow rate possible.

The four towns of the original 22 that remain on the boil-water alert are: Middletown, Highlands, Aberdeen and Holmdel.

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The 18 towns released from the advisory are: Allenhurst, Deal, Eatontown, Fair Haven, Little Silver, Loch Arbor, Lake Como, Long Branch, Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Ocean Township, Neptune, Rumson, Sea Bright, Shrewsbury Borough, Shrewsbury Township, Tinton Falls and West Long Branch.

While households in the 18 towns released from the restriction can now drink the water, conservation efforts are still in place and outdoor water use is banned.

According to county officials, “the ongoing water emergency means that:

  • All New Jersey American Water Company customers are under mandatory water restriction that bans all outdoor water use and encourages indoor water conservation. It is illegal to water your lawn, shrubs or gardens, fill swimming pools and wash cars. Indoor conservation measures include refraining from using washing machines and dishwashers, limiting showering times and flushing toilets less frequently.
  • Outdoor water conservation is highly encouraged by residents of the 31 towns not directly impacted by the water emergency.”

“We are pleased that NJ American Water Co. is working diligently to resolve this issue,” Monmouth County Freeholder Director John P. Curley said in a released statement. “We also remind our residents that the water restrictions remain in effect and that the support and vigilance by residents will get us through this emergency.”

While the repair work is underway, water companies will be rerouting water to New Jersey American Water Co. customers, putting a strain on the other companies.

That supply is “not enough to meet normal demand,” according to the county’s release, so the conservation measures must be adhered to.

“That’s why it is so important to conserve water regardless of what utility you receive your water from,” Monmouth County Emergency Management Coordinator Michael Oppegaard said.


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