UPDATE: Phillipsburg boil-water advisory lifted early, Aqua New Jersey says
Those under "boil-water" advisory in Phillipsburg should be able to resume normal usage sometime Thursday afternoon, a water company spokeswoman said.
Aqua New Jersey said Wednesday night on its website that an equipment malfunction with an ultraviolet treatment system led to incomplete disinfection for water distributed to parts of the town.
The water company is flushing the system after consulting with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Aqua New Jersey spokeswoman Donna Alston said.
Once that is complete, the company will be able to lift the boil water order, she said.
The order was limited to older sections of downtown Phillipsburg west of Prospect to Heckman streets and everywhere west of Roseberry and Center streets, Alston said Wednesday night. That area was never expanded, Alston said.
Initially, the company said the order would remain in place until tests done Thursday morning revealed results within 24 hours. But the DEP told the company that wasn't necessary, she said.
Until the company publicly lifts the order, customers in the advisory area should continue to bring water to a full boil for at least a minute if they intend to use it for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth or any purpose in which water would be ingested, Alston said.
Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.