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Ending speculation for now, Middlesex Water Co. has confirmed with about 60,000 of its customers that it has shut off a source of drinking water that contains a toxic “forever chemical” at above a new state health limit, and has switched to alternative supplies that comply with the rule.

The company previously said in a court document that it stopped using the contaminated well field starting in mid-November, but it would not issue a public announcement to that effect until state environmental officials approved its plan.

But in a statement posted on its website late Thursday, the utility said it has implemented an interim plan that allows it to draw water from sources that meet the state standard for the chemical PFOA.

“The wells have been shut down and the company is currently replacing that water supply with alternate sources that comply with all state and federal drinking water standards,” the statement said.

In late October, the company sent letters to customers in six towns saying that water from its South Plainfield treatment plant contained PFOA at above a “maximum contaminant limit” that has been set by the state Department of Environmental Protection — which required the company to send the “notice of exceedance” to its customers.

Customers were confused

The letters prompted confusion and alarm among customers who urged Middlesex to provide bottled water or filters until the problem was fixed by a new treatment plant that is not due to open until mid-2023. But the company refused to pay for those measures, saying DEP’s standard was “extraordinarily stringent” and that the exceedance did not constitute a public health emergency.

Now, the investor-owned utility is telling customers that their water complies with the state limit. Its plan “provides customers with water from alternate sources that complies with all drinking water standards, including the new PFOA standard,” the statement said.

It said it will keep the affected well field out of service until the new treatment plant begins operating.

PFOA, a man-made chemical that is linked with some cancers and other serious health conditions, is one of three widespread types of PFAS “forever chemicals” that New Jersey has regulated in the last few years to standards that are now being enforced. The Middlesex case is an early test of the New Jersey regulations, which have made the state a national leader in setting standards for the chemicals’ presence in drinking water.

What the company emphasizes 

Customers in South Plainfield, Edison, Metuchen, Woodbridge, Clark and Rahway will be receiving letters in the mail confirming the new supply arrangements, the company said. They will also get a separate notification that the wells again tested at above the PFOA limit, but that was because tests were done in the early part of the fourth quarter before the wells were shut down.

“However, the company strongly emphasizes that the wells have been shut down and customers are no longer receiving water from that source,” it said.

The company previously said that any public announcement about the new supply arrangement would not be made until DEP signed off on it. The agency said Friday that it is allowing Middlesex to switch to the alternative sources while it continues to review monitoring and treatment requirements as well as the capacity of the replacement sources to meet system needs.

“They are using these alternate sources while DEP is reviewing,” said agency spokesman Larry Hajna.

On Friday, lawyers for Middlesex, and for seven plaintiffs who sued the company over its PFOA exceedance, finalized an agreement to shut off the contaminated wells and switch to the alternative sources.

“This is definitely a step in the right direction. Hopefully these interim measures will eliminate the PFOA in the water supply affecting approximately 61,000 homes in Middlesex County,” said Stephen DeNittis, an attorney for the plaintiffs. But he said he will continue to press the company to compensate homeowners for the expense of buying bottled water and filters, and for medical advice in response to the notice of exceedance.