Customer Service Contact Numbers
For Middlesex Water Company Customers:
|
Water
Emergencies should be reported at any time to |
(732)
634-1500 |
|
For Billing
Inquiries or to arrange a meter reading, please call |
(732)
634-1500 |
|
To phone in
your meter reading, please call |
(732)
634-3124
or
(732) 634-3126 |
|
You may email us regarding your
Customer Service issue at
csmwc@middlesexwater.com |
|
To Obtain
Water Service:
Application for service connection and/or water service must be made to
the Company and fees paid before any connection is installed or water
service provided. For more information call (732) 634-1500.
Moving????
Before you move to a new location, either inside or outside of our
service area, please notify our Customer Service Department so that we
can arrange for a final meter reading and send you a final bill for your
old account. Please contact us at least 48 hours before moving, please
call (732) 634-1500.
Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs)
Q. How does water get
to our homes and businesses?
A.
A network of transmission and distribution mains transports water from
our CJO Plant and wells to our customers’ homes and businesses for their
use. The pipelines range in size from 6" to 48" in diameter and are
generally located within the public street rights of way. Other
facilities include control valves, fire hydrants, service lines and
meters. Fire hydrants used by local fire departments are connected
directly to our distribution mains. Service lines are smaller pipes that
bring the water from the distribution mains to the connection with
customer’s homes or businesses.
Q. How much
water does the average person use at home per day?
A.
Estimates vary, but each person uses about 80-100 gallons of water per
day. Americans drink more than 1 billion glasses of water a day.
Q. What is
potable water?
A.
Potable (which rhymes with floatable) means water that is safe to drink.
Potable water must come from a natural source, e.g. surface or
groundwater, and must meet or be better than federal and state standards
for drinking water quality.
Q. Why does
my water sometimes have a chlorine taste and odor?
A.
Like all public water suppliers in New Jersey, Middlesex Water Company
is required by law to provide disinfectant (chlorine) to the water
during the treatment process to kill germs. This may mean that you may
encounter chlorine-type tastes or odors from time to time. If you find
this unacceptable, collect tap water in a container, shake it and let in
stand for a while before covering the container and placing it in the
refrigerator for drinking. The chlorine odor will dissipate.
Q. Why does drinking
water often look cloudy when first taken from a faucet and then clear
up?
A.
The cloudy water is caused by tiny air bubbles in the water similar to
the gas bubbles in carbonated soft drinks. After a while, the bubbles
rise to the top and are gone. This type of cloudiness occurs more often
in the winter when the drinking water is cold.
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Q. What is
hard water?
A.
Hardness in water is caused by two minerals -- calcium and magnesium. If
your water contains substantial amounts of these minerals, water is said
to be hard because making a lather or suds is hard to do. Water
containing little calcium or magnesium is usually called soft water.
Q. Why does
dishwater or the dishwasher leave spots on glasses?
A.
The spots that may appear on glassware after washing and air drying are
caused by nontoxic minerals that remain on the glass when the water
evaporates. Spots on glass shower doors appear for the same reason.
Commercial products are available that allow the water to drain from
glassware more completely.
Q. I’ve
heard about people installing filters or home treatment devices? Is that
really necessary?
A.
Water provided by Middlesex Water Company meets all state and federal
primary standards for drinking water quality. However, some customers
may choose to install additional home treatment devices to meet their
personal preferences such as improving the taste or smell of their
water. These treatment devices do not necessarily make the water safer
or healthier to drink. And, if not properly maintained, can actually
cause water quality problems.
Q. Do we
really need to drink eight glasses of water a day for good health?
A.
Our bodies need fluid –even when we don’t feel thirsty. But keep in mind
that beverages such as juice, milk and soft drinks and many foods are
almost all water and count towards the required fluid intake. Water is
usually recommended over other beverages, however, because it does not
contain caffeine or sugar.
Q. What is
best to use for cooking--hot or cold tap water?
A.
It is
best to use cold water. Hot water can contain rust, copper and lead or
other impurities from your household plumbing because these contaminants
dissolve more quickly into hot water than into cold water.
Q. In towns
and cities, what is the major cause of pollution of drinking water
sources?
A.
The major source of pollution in towns and cities is rainwater that
flows into street catch basins (called urban runoff or stormwater
runoff). While the rainwater alone is not necessarily harmful, it
frequently carries untreated waste products from our streets and yards
directly to rivers, lakes, and streams--our drinking water sources.
Q. What
causes water mains to break?
A.
Adverse weather conditions, and drastic changes in temperature can
create havoc with water mains and cause main breaks. You can usually
tell when a main break has happened because water is bubbling up from
the ground. Sometimes breaks are less noticeable and may only be
detected by a loss of water pressure. Middlesex Water Company strives to
repair water main breaks and restore service as quickly as possible. Our
maintenance crews are on call 24 hours a day to repair breaks. A typical
break in a 6 or 8 inch pipe is usually repaired in under six hours.
Larger pipe breaks may take longer to repair. Water service may be
interrupted while the main is being fixed but is resumed once the pipe
has been replaced, flushed and water samples taken to ensure water
quality. |
