If the tap still runs, you can usually flush and shower, and the thing to avoid is swallowing the water once a boil water advisory is out. Whether an advisory is issued at all depends on one fact: did the system lose pressure. If it did, the water company cannot prove nothing got into the pipe, so the advisory goes out while they disinfect, flush and test, and it stays until a certified lab says otherwise.
A main break is the water system's problem and the water system's bill, not yours. But the questions people actually ask us on the day are about the house: can I use the water, is it safe, why is it brown. Here is how it works in New Jersey.
First: is it the main, or your line?
Ask a neighbor. A whole street out, or water coming up through the road, is the main, and it belongs to your water purveyor along with the curb stop at the property line. Only your house out, or a wet patch in only your lawn, points at your own service line, which is a different problem with a different owner. We cover that side in no water in the house, or water in the yard.
If it is the main, call the water system rather than a contractor. If you are not sure who that is, we keep the list: who supplies your water in New Jersey, town by town.
Why some breaks bring a boil notice and others do not
NJDEP's water main break guidance sorts breaks into three kinds, and only one of them routinely brings a boil water advisory.
- Uncontrolled outage. The system loses positive pressure before anybody gets control of it. This is the one that brings the full set: notify the state, issue a boil water advisory, disinfect the repair, sample, report.
- Controlled outage. The crew isolates the section and shuts it down deliberately. An advisory is not routinely required, though a system can issue a precautionary one.
- Low pressure event. Pressure is held in the main the whole time the repair is made. Water flows out of the break rather than anything flowing in, so no advisory and no testing are required.
So two breaks on two streets can end completely differently, and neither outcome tells you the water was actually contaminated. An advisory means the system cannot prove it was not. The full breakdown, with the deadlines each system has to meet, is on our water main break page.
Can I shower during a main break?
If you have water and no advisory has been issued, yes. If an advisory has been issued, follow its wording, because it will say. The concern in a boil water advisory is water you swallow, so the usual advice is to keep it out of your mouth and take extra care bathing small children who might drink the bath water.
Can I flush the toilet?
Yes, as long as the tank refills. A main break does not affect your sewer. If the water is off entirely, the tank will not refill on its own, and a bucket of water poured into the bowl will flush it.
Can I drink the water after a main break?
Not unboiled while an advisory is in force. That covers drinking, cooking, ice, brushing teeth and making formula. The advisory is lifted on satisfactory laboratory results from a New Jersey certified drinking water lab, not on a guess and not because the water looks clear again. The number of samples the system has to take depends on how many people were affected, which is one reason larger breaks take longer to clear.
Do not run the tap on your own schedule to "flush it out" before the system says so. Wait for the notice that the advisory is lifted, then follow the flushing instructions that come with it.
Why is my water brown after a main break?
Usually because the sudden change in flow stirred up sediment that sits in the mains, and it tends to clear on its own. Brown water on its own is not the same thing as a boil advisory, but if your system has issued one, the advisory is what governs, not the color.
Can a water main break make you sick?
It can, which is exactly why the rules exist. A pipe that lost pressure can draw in whatever was around it, and nobody can see that from the tap. The system is required to reach the mayor and municipal clerk within an hour and to get any advisory to the affected public within 24 hours at the outside. If you have not heard anything and your pressure dropped, call your water system and ask directly.
Stay away from the hole
A main break moves a lot of water fast and washes the ground out from under the pavement while it does it. The road that looks intact next to the break is the hazard, and so is anything electrical the water has reached. Keep kids and cars away until the crew has it controlled.
What is yours once the main is fixed
The service line from the curb stop to the house is yours in most New Jersey setups, and a break or a pressure surge on the street can expose an old service that was already on its way out. If your pressure stays low after the neighbors are back to normal, or a wet patch shows up in your lawn in the weeks after, that is worth a look. Replacing that line is our work, and here is how it goes.
Common questions
Can I shower during a water main break? If you have water and no boil water advisory has been issued, yes. If one has, follow its wording; the concern is water you swallow, so keep it out of your mouth and take care bathing small children.
Can I flush the toilet during a water main break? Yes, as long as the tank refills; a main break does not affect the sewer. If the water is off entirely, pour a bucket of water into the bowl to flush.
Can I drink tap water after a water main break? Not unboiled while a boil water advisory is in force. It is lifted on satisfactory results from a New Jersey certified drinking water laboratory, not when the water looks clear.
Does every water main break mean a boil water notice? No. Under NJDEP guidance the deciding question is whether the system lost pressure. A repair made with pressure held in the main does not require an advisory.
Who fixes a water main break? Your water system. The main and the curb stop belong to the purveyor, and the repair is their work and their cost.
Still not sure how this applies to your property? That is what a free on-site estimate is for. Call 862-268-2510 or tell us what is going on, and we will give you a straight answer, including when the answer is that you do not need us.