BERKELEY – Aqua New Jersey is assuring customers that the water is safe to drink amid concerns that it has a strange smell or taste.
Residents have been complaining that the water is discolored, and that it gives off a smell. Some people have even shared on social media that their mouth tastes like rust and have been getting sore throats. They don’t want to do laundry, and have been buying bottled water to compensate.
A representative from Aqua said that the company started flushing areas of Bayville on June 2 after receiving reports of odor and discolored water.
“It is important to know that despite any discoloration or odor customers may be experiencing, the water is safe to drink and use,” said Dan Lockwood, manager of communications for Aqua. “The company is currently investigating the source of the issue and will provide updates to affected customers through our Service Outages webpage on aquaamerica.com. Once on the website, navigate to the bottom of the homepage and input a zip code in the section marked Service Outages for the most up to date information.”
This issue was a recent one, but it brought to mind continued concerns of Aqua customers going back more than a year. Residents complained about discolored water that will stain a toilet if left too long, and high levels of aluminum and iron.
Aqua has been working on iron removal treatment plants in the area, which are expected to come online at the end of summer.
According to a previous press release from the company, the $12 million project will treat 1.4 million gallons of water per day from a new groundwater supply well, plus three existing groundwater supply wells.
