Residents across Middlesex County are part of a class action lawsuit over tainted drinking water.

The lawsuit filed in Superior Court says Middlesex Water Company fell short of alerting customers of the risk of the tainted water.

Middlesex Water Company told customers to buy bottled water after reporting high levels of PFOAs, also known as forever chemicals. These chemicals do not break down over time.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says PFOAs can cause a wide range of health issues, including cancer.

Residents affected live in South Plainfield, Clark, Edison, Metuchen, Woodbridge and Carteret. Notices were only sent to the person named on the water bill, leaving apartment tenants to rely on a landlord or building manager pass along the tainted water alert.

About 61,000 homes get water from Middlesex Water.