Updated: United Water Lifts ‘Boil Water Advisory’ for Fort Lee, Other Towns

Updated Monday:

United Water New Jersey announced Monday afternoon that the “boil water advisory” that had been in effect since early Sunday morning has been lifted for customers in the northern section of Fort Lee, in addition to parts of Englewood Cliffs, Englewood and Tenafly.

“Laboratory test results show that the drinking water quality meets all regulatory requirements,” the company said in a statement.

The results were submitted to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) for verification and given the all clear, according to United Water.

“It is no longer necessary for these customers to boil their water,” the company said.

Still, the company recommended customers in the affected areas take the following precautions for now:

• Run faucets for 3 to 5 minutes
• Empty and clean automatic ice makers and water chillers
• Drain and refill hot water heaters if the temperature is set below 113 degrees Fahrenheit
• Run water softener/cartridge filters through a regeneration cycle or other procedures recommended by the product manufacturer

The company said customers are being notified of the advisory being lifted via a reverse 911 call.

United Water had issued a “boil water advisory” Sunday for customers from Tenafly to Fort Lee, after completing valve work on Route 9W early Sunday morning, and announcing that service had been fully restored to customers. 

Crews had closed a 30-inch water main to repair one valve and install a new one.

Service was restored to the area at about 4 a.m. Sunday, according to a United Water spokesperson.

The advisory to boil water, which at the time remained in effect “until further notice,” was for customers from East Clinton Avenue in Tenafly and south along Route 9W to the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee. 

“Customers are ordered to boil their water before using it for drinking or cooking purposes,” the company said in a statement early Sunday, calling it a “precautionary measure,” and adding that people using water for things such as drinking, cooking, baking, washing dishes, making ice cubes, taking medication, brushing teeth, washing food, mixing baby formula, mixing juices or drinks or feeding pets should boil their water for a full minute beforehand.

Water did not have to be boiled for showering or washing clothes, according to a company spokesman.

Emergency crews were collecting water samples in order to monitor the water's safety, according to the company.

“It typically takes 24-48 hours to administer tests to two sets of samples and receive results, so it is important for customers in the affected area to continue to boil water until further notice,” the company said in a press release.

Customers impacted by the “boil water advisory” were notified by phone and would be updated when it’s safe to suspend boiling their water, the company said Sunday.

The repairs were necessary after the 30-inch water main burst in Englewood Cliffs in July, affecting residents and businesses along Fort Lee's northern border and leaving a large number of Fort Lee residents with little or no water pressure, as United Water urged residents at the time to use water for "essential purposes only."

For more information, the company asks people to call customer service at 1-800-422-5897.