As New Jersey prepares for “The Road Back,” make sure your business is ready to meet the challenge.
If your business/building has been completely or partially unoccupied during the current pandemic, you must take action to address possible water quality degradation in the building’s plumbing system. This correspondence provides basic guidance and a helpful link so you can reoccupy your building in a “water healthy” way and avoid water quality issues.
What happened to the water while the building was unoccupied? Examples include:
* When water was not used, the chlorine in in it had a chance to dissipate. This invites microorganisms to grow inside pipes, fixtures and tanks. Some may cause disease if they are consumed or inhaled as droplets (particularly while showering).
* The protective scale inside pipes may have destabilized. Without the protective scale, toxic metals like lead (if you have lead pipes) can dissolve or shear off as particles and end up in water used for drinking or food preparation.
* For larger buildings/systems, mechanical equipment such as cooling towers, boilers and pumps may not have received routine maintenance. Backflow preventers may have missed annual test cycles.
What actions do you need to take?
Every business is different and the answer to this question varies depending on the size, design and use of your specific plumbing system. The proper actions will range from the simple flushing of your plumbing system for a few minutes to following the actions put in place as part of your Water Management Plan (if applicable). Size, design and use are important in determining your actions.
Visiting the Environmental Science Policy & Research Institute’s website will provide some basic information and guidance that will allow you to take appropriate actions. This will ensure that a return to normal includes the water quality in your building being tailored to your specific needs.
If during this process you have any questions, our water professionals will do their best to assist you. You are invited to contact the Mt. Laurel MUA at (856) 234-0062.
This information is also available at the MUA’s website.
We will get through this together!
