E.Coli In Water Prompts Boil Advisory From Ridgewood Water

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Ridgewood Water customers need to boil their water before drinking it due to fecal E.coli that was found in a groundwater source sample, the utility announced Wednesday.

The raw groundwater sample was taken from the water's low pressure zone, which includes parts of Ridgewood and Wyckoff and all of Glen Rock, said Richard Calbi Jr., Ridgewood Water director. The sample tested positive for E.coli before it was treated. Fecal indicators mean that the water may be contaminated with human or animal waste.

There is not an E.coli outbreak, Calbi said.

Boiled water should be used for brushing teeth, showering and cooking, officials said.

Water from the zone is disinfected before it is distributed and no distribution samples tested positive for E.coli or any other bacteria, Calbi said. The source water well has been shut down.

The boil advisory should be lifted by Friday, he said.

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