UPDATED: New Jersey American Water Monmouth County Customers Under Boil Water Advisory; Company Bans Outdoor Water Use

Alert Notifications

PWSID:

Issue Date: 06-29-2012

New Jersey American Water Monmouth County Customers Under Boil Water Advisory

New Jersey American Water is urging its customers in Monmouth County to discontinue all nonessential water use and outdoor water use after three water mains collapsed at the company’s Swimming River Water Treatment Plant in Tinton Falls.

New Jersey American Water has also issued a precautionary boil water advisory for customers in Monmouth County in the communities listed below.

This notice impacts customers in the following communities:  

• Aberdeen
• Holmdel 
• Middletown (in the Lincroft, Port Monmout, Navesink, New Monmouth sections only)
• Highlands
• Little Silver
• Rumson
• Fair Haven
• Tinton Falls
• Eatontown
• Sea Bright
• Oceanport
• Shrewsbury
• Long Branch
• West Long Branch
• Deal
• Allenhurst
• Loch Arbour
• Neptune Township

Please note that this is a standard procedure whenever water pressure is lost as a precaution. New Jersey American Water will provide information as to when the advisory is lifted. 

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection requires that the company issue the following advisory:

New Jersey American Water has determined that a potential or actual threat to the quality of water being provided to you currently exists. Therefore until further notice, bring tap water to a rolling boil for one minute and allow to cool before using for consumption; drinking, ice cubes, washing vegetables and fruit, and for brushing teeth. Please continue to boil your water until you are notified that the water quality is acceptable.

New Jersey American Water also recommends the following steps:
• Throw away uncooked food or beverages or ice cubes if made with tap water during the day of the advisory;
• Keep boiled water in the refrigerator for drinking;
• Rinse hand-washed dishes for a minute in diluted bleach (one tablespoon of household bleach per gallon of tap water) or clean your dishes in a dishwasher using the hot wash cycle and dry cycle.
• Do not swallow water while you are showering or bathing;
• Provide pets with boiled water after cooling;
• Do not use home filtering devices in place of boiling or using bottled water; most home water filters will not provide adequate protection from microorganisms;
• Use only boiled water to treat minor injuries.

Please be advised that the company is doing all it can to ensure your water is of the highest quality. New Jersey American Water will notify customers immediately when the advisory is lifted.

New Jersey American Water is working on temporary measures to restore normal operations at its Swimming River Water Treatment Plant. The plant delivers 36 million gallons of water each day to 55,000 customer accounts.

Bottled water stations will be set up tonight until 11 p.m. and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting tomorrow at the following locations:

• Middletown High School North, 63 Tindall Road, Middletown Township
• Middletown High School South, 900 Nut Swamp Road Middletown (also bring your own water jug to be filled at this location)
• Wolf Hill Park, 3 Crescent Place, Oceanport

For updates, customers can visit www.newjerseyamwater.com or www.facebook.com/newjerseyamericanwater.

Contact Information:
Name: Customer Service Center
Company: New Jersey American Water
Phone: 1-800-652-6987
Alt. Phone: n/a

Declaration of Emergency from the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management

DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY

TO ALL CITIZENS BUSINESSES, DEPARTMENTS, DIVISIONS AND OFFICES WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE COUNTY OF MONMOUTH STATE OF NEW JERSEY  

WHEREAS, PURSUANT TO THE POWERS VESTED IN ME BY CHAPTER 251 OF THE LAWS OF 1942, AS AMENDED AND SUPPLEMENTED, NJSA APP A:9-30  ET  SEQ; NJSA 40:48-1(6) AND ordinance PURSUANT THERETO; NJSA 2C:33-1 ET SEQ; AND ALL SECTIONS AND SUBSECTIONS, I HAVE DECLARED THAT A COUNTY-WIDE DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY EXISTS WITHIN THE COUNTY OF MONMOUTH,

WHEREAS, THE AFORESAID LAWS AUTHORIZE THE PROMULGATION OF SUCH ORDERS, RULES AND REGULATIONS AS ARE NECESSARY TO MEET THE VARIOUS PROBLEMS WHICH HAVE OR MAY BE PRESENTED BY SUCH EMERGENCY, AND,

WHEREAS, BY REASON OF THE SERIOUS CONDITIONS WHICH PRESENTLY EXIST WITHIN THE COUNTY OF MONMOUTH WHICH MAY AFFECT THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND OR WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE, AND

WHEREAS, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED MANDATORY WATER USE RESTRICTIONS FOR ALL RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES IN MONMOUTH COUNTY.  THIS ACTION IS A RESULT OF DAMAGES THAT OCCURRED TODAY, JUNE 29, 2012 TO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AT THE NEW JERSEY AMERICAN WATER SUPPLY SWIMMING RIVER PLANT IN MIDDLETOWN, MONMOUTH COUNTY.   NEW JERSEY AMERICAN WATER HAS BEGUN PIPELINE REPAIRS, BUT HAS DETERMINED THAT CONSERVATION EFFORTS WILL HELP US MAINTAIN ADEQUATE PRESSURE DURING THE REPAIR PERIOD

AND FURTHER, THAT CERTAIN MEASURES MUST BE TAKEN TO INSURE ORDER AND TO PROTECT THE PERSONS AND PROPERTY AFFECTED BY SAID CONDITIONS AND INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN BY NEW JERSEY AMERICAN WATER CUSTOMERS;

•         Throw away uncooked food or beverages or ice cubes if made with tap water during the day of the advisory;

•         Keep boiled water in the refrigerator for drinking;

•         Rinse hand-washed dishes for a minute in diluted bleach (one tablespoon of household bleach per gallon of tap water) or clean your dishes in a dishwasher using the hot wash cycle and dry cycle.  

•         Do not swallow water while you are showering or bathing;

•         Provide pets with boiled water after cooling;

•         Do not use home filtering devices in place of boiling or using bottled water; most home water filters will not provide adequate protection from microorganisms;

•         Use only boiled water to treat minor injuries.

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT,

A.        The mandatory restrictions include the following:

           

            No watering of existing lawns shrubs, trees, and gardens

            No use of water for non-essential reasons

            Washing of cars is prohibited except at commercial car washing facilities that employ the use recycled water.

B.  Other necessary orders

These mandatory restrictions will be in place until further notice.  It is important to note that the restrictions may remain in place until necessary repairs are made to the distribution system and it is deemed that all public safety operations can be maintained.

NOW THEREFORE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AFORESAID LAWS, I DO HEREBY PROMULGATE AND DECLARE THAT THE ABOVE CITED APPLICABLE REGULATIONS SHALL BE IN ADDITION TO ALL OTHER LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, THE COUNTY OF MONMOUTH AND ITS MUNICIPALITIES.

________________________________   _______________    __________

Emergency Management Coordinator                   Date                     Time

Michael E. Oppegaard

__________________

John P. Curley Director

Monmouth county Board of Chosen freeholder

Reminders, Tips for Safe Disposal of Ash from Grills Provided by the Asbury Park Fire Department.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Reminders, Tips for Safe Disposal of Ash from Grills Provided by the Asbury Park Fire Department.

With grilling season in full swing, the Asbury Park Fire Department issuing reminders and tips about the importance of safely disposing of the ash generated when using outdoor grills. 

Residents are reminded to never put out ashes from outdoor barbecues (and fireplaces) for collection with their regular household trash unless they have been thoroughly soaked with water or held for at least a week to ensure there are no residual embers.

“Many residents are enjoying the summer weather, spending more time outdoors, and having barbecues. It’s extremely important that they allow the ashes from their grills – as well as any fireplaces or fire pits – to cool down completely before they properly dispose of them.” 

“Hot ashes that are not properly cooled and disposed are significant fire hazards, capable of starting fires while mixed in loads of waste in refuse collection trucks or while waste is actually being processed at the county’s reclamation center.

The risk of fire becomes even greater due to the hot, dry weather conditions during the summertime. Improper disposal of ashes or hot coals from fireplaces, grills or mobile fireplaces designed for decks or patios has become a common cause of many recent fires. 

Embers often concealed in what appears to be cold ashes, can remain hot enough to rekindle a fire for several days. We want residents to enjoy their fireplaces and grills but to always dispose of the ashes wisely.

Fire Department officials remind residents to:

• Allow ashes and coals to cool in place for several days, if possible.

• When it’s time to dispose of the ashes, transfer them to a metal container and wet them down. Only use an approved metal ash bucket that has a tight fitting metal lid.

• Store the container outside, away from structures, decks, fences, wood piles or other combustible materials.

• Never use a vacuum cleaner to pick up ashes.

• Never dump ashes into a plastic container, cardboard box, bag, or anything or in any place where combustible fluids of fumes are present.

• Don't dump ashes outside on a windy day. The wind can whip up what may have seemed like cool embers, making them fiery hot and sending them traveling to ignite nearby combustibles.

• And lastly, always have working smoke alarms on every level of your home and test them monthly.

“Please Abide – Pull Aside”

Hear Us, See Us, Clear for Us!

“Please Abide – Pull Aside”

Do you know what to do when approached by an emergency vehicle? The Asbury Park area is often crowded and congested with traffic conditions caused by commuters and visitors to the area, collisions, work zones and sometimes just “normal” traffic.

Emergency vehicles are impacted by these conditions, as well. When somebody calls 911 for help – the members of the Asbury Park Fire Department respond. How can everyday drivers help us to help you? – Normally drivers will HEAR us first, next they will SEE us, and then we need drivers to CLEAR for us.

HEAR US - SEE US - CLEAR FOR US 

C – L – E – A – R for emergency vehicles.

C – Calmly pull to and as close to the edge of the roadway as possible and stop.

L – Leave room. Keep intersections clear and never try to follow emergency vehicles.

E – Enter into traffic with caution after the emergency vehicle has passed. Remember to use signals.

A – Aware (be). Be aware of your surroundings. Keep radio volume low and check rear view mirrors frequently.

R – Remain stopped until the emergency vehicle ha passed. Be mindful that there may be additional emergency vehicles approaching.

When approached by an emergency vehicle – the law says to pull over to the closest parallel edge of the roadway and yield the right of way to the emergency vehicle. An emergency vehicle is one with an audible siren and/or siren and emergency flashing lights. When driving and approaching an emergency scene – slow down and move over. In other words - “Give us a brake!”

Reduce the risk of an accident near an emergency scene and around emergency equipment.

Stay alert – expect anything to occur when approaching emergency vehicles.

Pay close attention – watch for police or fire direction.

Turn on your headlights – let on scene workers and other motorists see you.

Don’t tailgate – unexpected stops frequently occur near emergency scenes.

Don’t speed – slow down.

Keep up with the traffic flow – dedicate your full attention to the roadway and those traveling around you.

Minimize distractions – avoid changing radio stations and using mobile cell phones while approaching these areas.

Expect the unexpected – keep an eye out for emergency workers and their equipment.

Be patient – remember, firefighters and EMT’s have been called to the scene and are working to help someone.

Rip Current Awareness – What You Need to Know.

Rip currents can be found on many surf beaches every day. Rip currents most typically form at low spots or breaks in sandbars, and also near structures such as groins, jetties and piers. The definition of rip current is: A powerful channel of water that flows away from the shore. They can be narrow or more than 50 yards wide.

The United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) estimates that rip currents account for over eighty percent of all beach rescues and over 100 deaths annually at our nation’s beaches. Signs that a rip current is present are difficult for the average beachgoer to identify.  Look for differences in the water color, water motion, incoming wave shape or breaking point compared to adjacent conditions.

So, what do you need to know before you go to the beach?  The USLA offers some good tips and precautions that every swimmer should head or at least hear.

Rip Current Myth

A rip current is a horizontal current. Rip currents do not pull people under the water–-they pull people away from shore. Drowning deaths occur when people pulled offshore are unable to keep themselves afloat and swim to shore. This may be due to any combination of fear, panic, exhaustion, or lack of swimming skills.

How to Avoid and Survive Rip Currents

Learn how to swim!

• Never swim alone.
• Be cautious at all times, especially when swimming at unguarded beaches. If in doubt, don’t go out!
• Whenever possible, swim at a lifeguard protected beach.
• Obey all instructions and orders from lifeguards.
• If caught in a rip current, remain calm to conserve energy and think clearly.
• Don’t fight the current. Swim out of the current in a direction following the shoreline. When out of the current, swim towards shore.
• If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When out of the current, swim towards shore.
• If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself: face the shore, wave your arms, and yell for help.
• If you see someone in trouble, get help from a lifeguard. If a lifeguard is not available, have someone call 9-1-1. Throw the rip current victim something that floats and yell instructions on how to escape.Remember, many people drown while trying to save someone else from a rip current.

Summer’s First Heat Wave Coming – Be Ready

Fire Officials Urge Residents to be Careful and Check on Elderly Neighbors

Asbury Park - - - The first day of summer is going to be sizzling in the Monmouth County area with sustained, high temperatures predicted through the week making it especially dangerous for the those at greatest risk including the elderly, the young, those with existing medical conditions and those that work outdoors. 

While staying hydrated is essential all year long, it is particularly important when temperatures soar. The Asbury Park Fire Department is urging residents to to stay cool, stay hydrated and to check on the welfare of elderly or at-risk neighbors. “Summer heat waves can be dangerous and even short periods of high temperatures cause serious health problems.Whether on the sports field or the construction site, folks need to take action to prevent heat-related illness.”

During hot weather and extreme heat this summer, keep informed by listening to local weather and news channels, use common sense and take a minute to review the tips below.

1. Pre-hydrate, hydrate and re-hydrate. 

During hot weather you will need to increase your fluid intake, regardless of your activity level. Drink plenty of fluids in advance, during and after activities and don’t wait until you're thirsty to hydrate. Warning: If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluids you drink or has prescribed water pills, ask how much you should drink when the weather is hot. 

2.  Dress for the heat. 

Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. Light colors will reflect some of the sun’s energy. Limit your direct exposure to the sun and wear a hat for extra protection. 

3.  Monitor those at high risk.

Extreme heat can be hazardous to your health and although anyone can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others. Those most at risk for heat-related illnesses include children, older adults, those that work or exercise outside and those with pre existing medical conditions. 

4. Children and cars - use common sense.

Never leave infants, children, pets or the elderly in a parked car where temperatures can become life-threatening in minutes, even with the windows rolled down. Additionally, hot interior surfaces of a car can burn a child’s skin. Before you put your child in a car that has been parked in a warm/sunny spot, check the temperature of the car-seat or upholstery first. 

5. Avoid strenuous activity.

When possible, strenuous activities should be reduced, eliminated or rescheduled to the coolest part of the day. Take regular breaks when exercising or engaged in physical activity on warm days. If you recognize that you, or someone else, is showing signs of a heat-related illness, stop the activity immediately, find a cool place to rest, hydrate and seek medical attention if necessary.

Remember, heat stroke is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY that can be fatal if not treated promptly. The American Red Cross advises that warning signs can vary among individuals but common signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke may include:  

Heat Exhaustion:

        -  Heavy sweating

      -  Muscle cramps 

      -  Pulse rate: fast and weak

      -  Breathing: fast and shallow 

      -  Nausea or vomiting

      -  Fatigue

      -  Weakness

      -  Headache and/or dizziness

Heat Stroke:

-  An extremely high body temperature (above 103 degrees)

-  The absence of sweating

-  Rapid pulse 

-  Difficulty breathing 

-  Throbbing headache

-  Strange behavior and/or hallucinations

-  Confusion, agitation and disorientation

-  Unconscious  

                           

6. Be a good neighbor.

Isolated, elderly adults are at a much higher risk of health-related issues. Be a good neighbor and take a minute to check in with your neighbors.

7. Remember your pets. 

Hot weather can affect the well-being of pets making them susceptible to overheating which can lead to very dangerous heat stroke. Always provide a source of water and a cool, ventilated  place for your pet. Leaving your pet inside a parked car, even for a few minutes, can be fatal. The inside of a car can reach 120 degrees in a matter of minutes.

8. Stay indoors, if possible.  

Stay indoors and, if possible, in an air-conditioned place. If your home does not have air conditioning, consider going to the shopping mall, community center or public library. Even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you return to the heat.  

NOTE: The City of Asbury Park Social Services Department has arranged for the establishment of a COOLING CENTER at the Salvation Army Building located at 605 Asbury Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ 07712  

For more information contact the Salvation Army  at (732) 775-8698, or the Asbury Park Social Services Department at (732) 502-4528.

In case of EMERGENCY call 911