Boil water advisory issued for 7 N.J. towns after E. coli detected – NJ.com

Seven Bergen County towns were under a boil water advisory Friday after tests revealed E. coli within the distribution system, a New Jersey water company said.

Residents of Fairview, Cliffside Park, Ridgefield, Edgewater, Fort Lee, Palisades Park and Leonia were impacted by the advisory, according to Veolia Water New Jersey, the utility formerly known as Suez that serves customers in six northern counties. The utility published a map online showing areas of some communities covered by the alert.

E. coli was detected following a water main break Monday in Ridgefield, according to a statement from the company.

“Repairs were made and the water main was placed back into service on (Tuesday), however, E. coli was detected in samples collected from within the area of the break. A test for E. coli takes 24 hours to generate a result,” Veolia’s statement said.

The utility said it was “continuously monitoring and testing the system” and would alert residents when the boil water advisory was lifted, which could come within the next few days.

“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, food preparation, and provided to pets until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water,” Veolia’s advisory said.

Veolia also announced it would provide water for impacted residents at 420 Brinkerhoff Ave. in Fort Lee.

The contamination can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches among other symptoms and E. coli presents a more serious health risk to infants, young children, older people and those with compromised immune systems.

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Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com.