On June 20th, 2019, Perth Amboy residents received another notice from our water department that there has been another violation of the drinking water standard (click to read notice in English) (read notice in Spanish). The notice was mailed to residents from the Perth Amboy Water Department, Utility Service Affiliates (Perth Amboy) INC. This is the second notice this year outlining violations of the drinking water standard of water supplied to Perth Amboy. The first notice was received in Feb 2019 (read notice).
The new notice says that this is not an emergency and the water is safe to drink. But, it also says that the water is contaminated with TTHM beyond the standard for drinking water. The notice says that if you have a severely compromised immune system, have an infant, are pregnant, or are elderly, you may be at increased risk of the water contaminants having an impact on your health and should seek the advice of a doctor about drinking the water. Also, the notice says, that people who drink water containing TTHM over the standard allowed by law, may over time experience problems with their liver, kidney, central nervous system functioning and be at an increased risk of getting cancer.
The first water violation notice that went out in March 2019 said that the TTHM drinking water quality problem had been temporary, but this second notice says the problem is ongoing. It says work is being done to supply us with drinking water that does not violate standards, but they do not expect to do so until the end of 2019.
On June 4th, a recall campaign of Mayor Diaz was launched by 3 Perth Amboy activists, for what they say is Mayor Diaz’s inaction of addressing Perth Amboy drinking water quality problems. Mayor Diaz in response released a PSA saying that the water is safe to drink in Perth Amboy, and has all her departments circulating these materials. In the Mayor’s summer newsletter, the Mayor provides information from Middlesex County Water who supplies the Perth Amboy Water Department with our drinking water, saying that the water in Perth Amboy meets all state and federal standards. This information seems to be in conflict with the notice that residents received on June 20th, which outlines the continued violation of the water quality standard set by law.
