by Evening Sun Staff Writer Alan Stevens

NEW BERLIN – The residents of South New Berlin have been warned to boil water at their homes after receiving notices from the Chenango County Department of Health by mail and phone.

The messages stated that the drinking water has inadequate chlorine levels, due to the chlorine injection pump failing and may be unsafe to drink.

Officials said the pump is currently being replaced and hope to have it fixed in about a week.

A letter sent to citizens stated, “Do not drink the water without boiling it first. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water certified for sale by the New York State Department of Health. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice.”

Isaiah Sutton, director of Environmental Health Services within the Department of Public Health said, “We have no reason to believe that there are any contaminants in the water. The boiled water notice is a caution due to mechanical failure, not in relation to any water quality.”

The pump failed to operate on Wednesday evening. “We identified the problem around 5 p.m.,” Sutton said.

Sutton later stated that the water is safe to bathe in.

Facilities are sending their water to A&P Water Testing in Morrisville, who will then run two tests 24 hour apart from each other to ensure that the replacement pump is keeping the water consistently clean.

“We required facilities that have been placed on a boil water notice to collect bacteria samples to ensure the safety of the system,” Sutton said.

Town Clerk of New Berlin Deborah Barker stated that the town has bought two injection pumps; one to replace the failed part and another in case of a similar emergency. Each pump cost around $1,800.

“We bought an extra one to stay ahead of the game,” Robert T. Starr, supervisor of the town of New Berlin stated.

Starr said the notice will be lifted by next Friday. “I’m looking at the possibilities. We have to send the water to the Department of Health to meet their standards. Next Friday is a logical possibility.”