HMUA - Hackettstown Municipal Utilities Authority

07/29/2026

BOIL WATER ADVISORY LIFT NOTICE

FOR CUSTOMERS OF Hackettstown MUA, NJ2108001
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Customers of Hackettstown MUA were notified on 7/27/2026 of a possible problem with the drinking water due to the presence of E. coli in Well 4, and were advised to boil the tap water before using as a precautionary measure. We are pleased to report that subsequent water quality testing shows the water quality to be safe.

THE BOIL WATER ADVISORY IS LIFTED and it is no longer necessary to boil your water before using. The following measures are strongly encouraged at this time:

• Run your water faucets for 3-5 minutes to flush your service connection and interior plumbing with water from the service main.
• Empty and clean your automatic ice makers and water chillers.
• Drain and refill your hot water heater if the temperature is set below 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Service connections with a water softener/cartridge filters should be run through a regeneration cycle or other procedures recommended by the manufacturer.
• Water reservoirs in tall buildings should be drained and refilled (as applicable).

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience. If you have any questions or comments, please contact:

Charles Volkert at 908-852-3622 or via email at [email protected]

You may also visit our web site at https://hmua.com/ for further information.

WELCOME TO THE HACKETTSTOWN MUA (HMUA) HMUA is committed to providing the community with safe, clean drinking water & quality wastewater management, while maintaining the highest standards of customer service. HMUA News Nothing Found Contact us Quick links Pay Online

07/27/2026

DRINKING WATER WARNING
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Hackettstown MUA’s Well No. 4 Tested Positive for E. Coli

BOIL WATER PRIOR TO DRINKING

Our water system recently detected E. coli within our Well No. 4 (WL004011). As our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we are doing to correct this situation. On 7/25/2026 we collected one (1) sample from Well No. 4 (WL004011) and the sample tested positive for E. Coli.

Contact our Charles Volkert at 908-852-3622, 424 Hurley Drive, Hackettstown, NJ 07840 or [email protected] for questions or to obtain a translated copy of this public notice.

Nuestro sistema de agua detectó recientemente la presencia de E. coli en nuestro Pozo No. 4 (WL004011). Como nuestros clientes, ustedes tienen derecho a saber qué ocurrió y qué estamos haciendo para corregir esta situación. El 25 de julio de 2026, recolectamos una (1) muestra del Pozo No. 4 (WL004011), y la muestra dio resultado positivo para E. coli.

Comuníquese con Charles Volkert al 908-852-3622, en 424 Hurley Drive, Hackettstown, NJ 07840, o por correo electrónico a [email protected] si tiene alguna pregunta o para obtener una copia traducida de este aviso público.

What does this mean?
*E. coli are microbes whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term health effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.*

These bacteria can make you sick and are especially a concern for people with weakened immune systems. Bacterial contamination can occur when increased run-off enters the drinking water source (for example, following heavy rains). It can also happen due to a break in the distribution system (pipes) or a failure in the water treatment process.

What should I do?

• DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST.

• Bring all water to a rolling boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

• The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice from their healthcare providers about drinking this water.

• The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice from their healthcare providers about drinking this water.

What is being done?
• Well No. 4 has been disconnected for the distribution system.
• Additional confirmation sampling is being obtained.
• We are providing water from an alternative source until the problem is resolved.
• We are completing a comprehensive assessment of our water system and of our monitoring and operational practices to identify and correct any causes of the contamination.

We will inform you when tests show no bacteria are present and you no longer need to boil your water. We anticipate resolving the problem within 24-48 hours.

For more information, please contact Charles Volkert at 908-852-3622, 424 Hurley Drive, Hackettstown, NJ 07840 or via email at [email protected]. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

Information on our water system, including drinking water results, may be found on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Drinking Water Viewer website available at https://waterviewer.nj.gov/.

*Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.*

This notice is being sent to you by the Hackettstown MUA PWSID: NJ2108001].
Date distributed: 7/27/2026

11/10/2025

Change of Policy – Residential Tenant Billing

As of October 14, 2025 the HMUA has changed its policy with regard to residential tenant billing.

The HMUA has determined that is has expended significant hours and mailing costs in coordination of owner/tenant paperwork, mailing of delinquent notices to both owner and tenant, and coordination of both owner and tenant if/when the lien process must be initiated. As is standard practice for many water/sewer utilities due to the paperwork and communication involved, the HMUA will no longer direct bill tenants. All bills for water/sewer service will be mailed or emailed only to the property owner. It will be the responsibility of the property owner to either pay the water/sewer bill or pass the billing cost on to the tenant. This may therefore require a change in the owner/tenant lease agreement.

PLEASE NOTE: Although the policy change is immediate, this change to billing of tenants will not be immediate. The policy will take effect over time, only as existing tenants leave and new tenants occupy the rental premises. At that time, a final bill will be prepared for the existing tenant, and the billing for the rental unit will be switched over to the property owner. Each rental unit will maintain its own account number and pin that can be accessed by the property owner and shared with the tenant, if desired by the property owner. The account number and pin will provide the amount(s) due and allow for on-line payment, if so desired. The HMUA will only share account and pin numbers for billing with the party responsible for billing.