Boil water advisory lifted in Somerset County, N.J. following water main break
SOMERVILLE, N.J. — A boil water advisory has been lifted in part of Somerset County following a water main break earlier this week.
New Jersey American Water customers in Bridgewater, Raritan Borough and Somerville no longer have to boil their tap water before using it, the utility announced Friday.
The utility says testing shows the water quality is safe.
Water main break in Somerville causes outage
On Wednesday morning, a 36-inch water main break on Route 206 in Somerville caused a loss of pressure in the area and a boil water advisory was issued, New Jersey American Water said.
Some parts of the borough lost service entirely for a period of time, forcing some schools and businesses to close.
Friday morning, crews replaced the section of the water main impacted by the break, according to New Jersey American Water.
The same water main broke back on June 30, 2023. Residents in Bridgewater, Raritan Borough and Somerville were under a boil water advisory after that break, too, and some businesses had to close.
"It's frustrating because this is the second time within a year that this has happened. Last time, we were closed for a day and a half," the owner of a Somerville pizzeria said Thursday.
The restaurant owner said they lost money by closing up shop, and even though they were allowed to reopen with restrictions while the boil water advisory was ongoing, they had to spend hundreds of dollars on bottled drinks and ice.
In a statement, New Jersey American Water said they are working on a permanent solution to replace the main, with a 30-inch bypass main scheduled to begin construction in early 2025.