Hundreds of homes and businesses in a portion of Edison were under a boil water advisory Thursday afternoon following a water main break in the area.

The advisory was issued at 3 p.m. for customers of Edison Water Utility, given the 20-inch water main break at the intersection of M Lane and Woodbridge Avenue, according to a statement from the township.

The advisory will remain in place until the results of water sample tests are received and analyzed.

The break occurred shortly after midnight Thursday, affecting water service for residents along Woodbridge Avenue, Route 27, parts of Talmadge Road and Edison Town Hall, according to township officials.

News 12 said the broken pipe is affecting about 20,000 residents of Edison.

Those residents were asked to boil their water before drinking it or using it for cooking purposes.

It was unclear how long the break would take to repair, but the township said utility crews were still on site as of shortly after 3 p.m.

"We are taking all necessary steps to resolve the issue as quickly as possible," township officials said in a statement. "Residents will be notified as soon as the advisory is lifted."