The Hackettstown Municipal Utilities Authority has issued a boil water advisory for customers served by its water system after E. coli bacteria were detected in one of its drinking water wells.
The Hackettstown MUA provides water service to the Town of Hackettstown and portions of Independence Township and Mansfield Township in Warren County, and Mount Olive Township and Washington Township in Morris County.
According to the authority, a water sample collected July 25 from Well No. 4 (WL004011) tested positive for E. coli. Although the contamination was detected in Well No. 4, the advisory applies to all HMUA customers because all of the authority’s wells pump into a common distribution system that serves the entire distribution area.
According to the authority’s 2025 Annual Water Quality Report, Well No. 4 is a sand and gravel well located at the end of Seber Road in Hackettstown. The well has a pumping capacity of 200 gallons per minute and supplied less than 1% of the water distributed by the system during 2025.
Customers are advised not to drink tap water without first bringing it to a rolling boil for one minute and allowing it to cool. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and preparing food until the advisory is lifted.
According to the authority, the presence of E. coli indicates the water may be contaminated with human or animal waste. Microbes in the water can cause short-term health effects, including diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches or other symptoms, and may pose a greater health risk for infants, young children, older adults and people with severely compromised immune systems.
The authority said the likelihood of becoming ill is low. However, anyone experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis, including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or abdominal cramps, with or without a fever, should seek medical attention.
Officials said tap water may continue to be used for showering, bathing, shaving and washing clothes, provided care is taken not to swallow the water and to avoid shaving nicks. Water used for brushing teeth should be boiled and allowed to cool or replaced with bottled water.
The authority said Well No. 4 has been disconnected from the distribution system, additional confirmation samples are being collected and water is being supplied from an alternate source while the issue is investigated. The authority is also conducting a comprehensive assessment of the water system, monitoring and operational practices to identify and correct the source of the contamination.
The Hackettstown MUA said it will notify customers when testing confirms the water is safe to drink and the boil water advisory can be lifted. Officials anticipate resolving the issue within 24 to 48 hours.
For more information, residents may contact Charles Volkert at 908-852-3622 or bvolkert@hmua.com. General information about drinking water safety is available through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
