Sources: Jersey Shore Online; NJ101.5
Barnegat police advised certain residents to boil their water after a water main break occurred in the area near Bay Shore Drive.
While this area is located within the boundaries of Barnegat Township, it is serviced by the Ocean (Waretown) Township Utility Department. Chief Keith Germain said that they are unaware what caused the water main break, but members of the Waretown MUA is working on repairing the issue.
Ocean Township posted an advisory notice on their website that stated “A potential or actual threat to the quality of water being provided to you currently exists. As a precaution, we are implementing a limited Boil Water Advisory until testing of the water supply is deemed satisfactory.”
The advisory requests that residents in the affected area use boiled or bottled water for drinking and cooking. In addition:
- Throw away food or beverages made with water during the time of advisory
- Keep boiled water on hand for use
- Don’t swallow water while bathing
- Rinse hand washed dishes with a diluted bleach solution
- Don’t use home filtering devices
- Use boiled water to treat injuries and feed pets.
The affected area runs from the 300 block of Bay Shore Drive to the public docks.
New Jersey Blood Services has declared a “blood emergency” for a lack of donations and reserve supplies on hand.
The organization has dipped below a seven-day supply of blood overall. There’s less than a one-day supply on hand for Type O Negative, which can be donated to anyone.
“We’re anticipating that we’re going to be extending this emergency appeal through the July 4th weekend,” NJBS Director Marie Forrestal told New Jersey 101.5.
The warmer months are typically accompanied by a drop in donations, but an “emergency” hasn’t been declared by NJBS, a division of the New York Blood Center, in about two years.
During the summer, individuals may skip out on a blood drive because of the heat, or they’re halfway across the country on vacation. Twenty percent of NJBS blood donations come from students, so when schools and college are on break, groups experience a big dent in collections.
“Every two seconds, somebody’s using blood. And one out of every seven patients that goes into the hospital is getting a transfusion,” Forrestal said. “Those numbers are staggering, so we’re asking people to donate or host a blood drive.”