PUBLIC NOTIFICATION – DRINKING WATER WARNING
Wednesday, 05 April 2017 17:24Last Updated on Wednesday, 05 April 2017 17:27Written by Dylan Hansen
Ridgewood Water (Low Pressure Zone) Tested
Positive for E-Coli
BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING
Our water system recently detected a fecal indicator, E. coli in a groundwater source sample in the low pressure zone, which includes portions of Ridgewood & Wyckoff and all of Glen Rock. As our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we are doing to correct this situation. On April 4, 2017, we collected a sample from a raw groundwater source before any treatment. The sample tested positive for E. coli.
Please note that water from this source is disinfected before distribution to customers, and no distribution system samples have tested positive for fecal indicators or any other bacteria.
What should I do? What does this mean?
• 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.
*Fecal indicators are microbes whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term health effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.*
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 health care providers about drinking this water.
What is being done?
The source water well is shut down and 4-log inactivation of viruses is being installed as treatment. We will inform you when tests show no E. coli is present and when you no longer need to boil your water. We anticipate resolving the problem before Friday, April 7th.
For more information, please contact Ridgewood Water at 201-670-5520 or 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07451. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
*Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. *
This notice is being sent to you by Ridgewood Water. State Water System ID#: NJ0251001
What areas are affected
Just finished dinner. I always drink Brita filtered water.
Would have been nice if they did a reverse 911 or village text.
Sell Ridgewood Water.
All Bottled Water flying off the shelves by the case fulls at 2 supermarkets this evening in Glen Rock and Ridgewood/Paramus. Wondered why, the shoppers, said they got a phone call from their schools saying everyone was to have their child bring their own bottled water to school for tomorrow, also, to bring the bottled antibacterial hand soap. Shopping carts were to the brim with cases of bottled water and shelves going bare. Stock workers in both stores were bringing out more loads to put on shelves, as cases were given directly to people waiting for the bottled water.
From the village website – wells monitoring and tests –
“Ridgewood will perform weekly raw water monitoring at the two Group 1 wells for the presence of fecal coliform, e. coli and turbidity.”
https://water.ridgewoodnj.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=119&Itemid=108
https://water.ridgewoodnj.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=126&Itemid=75
List of wells locations –
“One Group 3 raw water sample collected prior to disinfection from Wortendyke Well #6 indicated potential evidence of vulnerability to fecal contamination. However, water from this well is already being treated to achieve 4-log removal of viruses.”
“This well was removed from service pending further evaluation. All subsequent samples collected from this well have indicated negative for fecal contamination vulnerability indicators. No evidence of potential vulnerability to fecal contamination was observed at any other Group 3 wells”
Why no reverse 911? They do that for less important things. How are customers supposed to know?
What a joke.
Oh shit!
We got a call from the schools…the message was garbled, sounded like the person was underwater……
Heather’s first challenge and she was a no-show….?
Don’t blame Heather. I signed up to receive messages from the town. If you don’t sign up, you don’t get them. I received two robo call messages.
This is nothing, Did you see the Record a few days ago. In near future drinking water will have to come from disinfected toilet water. Oh, and new policy, polluters from industry are now allowed to dump contaminants in streams that go to rivers and reservoirs.
Oh I get it 7:50 the only way I can find out that there is an emergency in Ridgewood is to sign up. So it my fault that Im not on the list . Got it.
WHAT AREA OF WYCKOFF IS AFFECTED ?
I’m signed up but only got a call from Ridgewood Water. Nothing from the Village Govt.
WHAT AREA OF WYCKOFF IS AFFECTED ? WHAT GROUP IS LAFAYETTE AVE IN ?
I’m on the email list and did not receive a notification
Nor did I get the robo call
I am signed up for reverse 911. I did not get a call, or email or text
I get all the other annoying reverse 911 calls but not one this time. School called me but not Village Hall. Strange.
The Village is creating more confusion and panic by not explaining clearly exactly what the “Low Pressure Zone” is. They need to grasp the idea that without a clearly printed map, very few people will understand if they are in an affected area. This will lead to people worrying and possible overreacting.