Another water main break in Paterson, NJ as repair work continues

PATERSON, New Jersey (WABC) — Days after a massive water main break near Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, crews are back at work repairing another break effecting the Riverside section and Fair Lawn.

When the 42-inch water main gave way in Paterson, some 18,000 customers were left without water.

The Passaic Valley Water Commission is redirecting some of its outputs, using crews to reroute water through other parts of its system while the main fix is underway.

Doing that will allow most customers to be reconnected while the repair work at North 1st and Arch Street continues.

This water system is feeling its age and is far from its heyday.

“It’s about 120 or 140 years old,” said Jim Mueller, Passaic Valley Water Commission. “We spent the last day trying to control the water coming out. That was difficult.”

Mueller says the commission has approved hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrades that will take years to complete.

They plan to begin that work in the next six to nine months.

“650 miles of main. Keep going at it every year. If you skip a year, get back to it,” Mueller said.

Impacted area residents are eager for water service to be fully restored.

“We have water but it’s low … we had to use the bucket to flush the toilet,” said Barbara, a Fair Lawn resident.

In the borough of Fair Lawn a boil water advisory remained in effect. The borough was also forced to close the Senior Center and Memorial Pool for Monday. Residents are also advised to turn off their outdoor sprinklers in order to conserve water.

PVWC says that the boil water advisory has been lifted for Broadway and all streets south of Broadway, east of Spruce Street, and west of Route 20.

However, they say the boil water advisory remains in effect for customers in Paterson outside of the area specified above and the Borough of Prospect Park. It is also in effect for customers served by the Manchester Utilities Authority in Haledon and North Haledon.

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