During a recent government meeting, officials addressed a significant drop in water pressure that occurred last Friday in the Midland Park area, which fell below the critical threshold of 20 PSI for several hours. The primary cause was identified as excessive lawn watering, which violated local ordinances. This situation was exacerbated by a broken valve, although it was clarified that the valve was not the root cause of the pressure drop.

The water pressure issue raised concerns about potential stagnation and bacterial contamination in the water supply, prompting the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to mandate a boil water alert. Residents were advised to boil their water for at least one minute to ensure safety, although subsequent testing revealed no bacteria present in the water. The boil water alert was lifted by Sunday afternoon, affecting approximately 6,147 service connections, though only an estimated 35 to 100 homes were truly impacted.

Communication regarding the incident was also a focal point of the meeting. Officials utilized a reverse 911 system to notify residents, but it was revealed that the system was both inadequate and inaccurate, as it relied on voluntary sign-ups. Approximately 50 to 60% of Ridgewood Water customers are enrolled in the system, leaving many uninformed. The officials acknowledged the need for improved communication strategies, including the potential for town-wide emails, which were not sent initially due to concerns about confusing unaffected residents.

Moving forward, officials emphasized the importance of enhancing public notification systems to ensure timely and accurate communication during emergencies. The meeting concluded with a commitment to address these communication gaps and improve overall water management practices.