Hoboken's Water Main Break May Affect Residents Until Thanksgiving

Hoboken’s effort to recover from a water main break that left many in the city without service on Sunday has hit a snag, city officials stated on Monday afternoon.

According to a city Nixle alert issued at 1:53 p.m., an additional 36-inch valve failure is delaying efforts to repair a transmission line in southwest Hoboken that left thousands of residents without water.

• See related article: Hoboken Water Main Break: Service Restored For Many Residents

The most recent valve failure took place on Sunday night and disrupted a transmission main which feeds water from Jersey City into Hoboken, city officials stated on Monday.

According to city officials:

“Repairing the valve is a complex procedure, due to its size and location underground, and could take several days. As a result, the City of Hoboken will have lower water pressure than usual, and residents, especially those on higher floors, should expect to have lower water pressure, discolored water, or at times no water while repairs are ongoing and as water demand changes throughout the day. The discoloration is caused by high levels of naturally occurring minerals in the water and a buildup of harmless sediment in the water mains.”

City officials continued:

“Until the Jersey City valve can be repaired, water at the site of the break will continue to flow from underground. After repairing the valve in Jersey City, only then will Suez Water (formerly known as United Water) be able to conduct an assessment and make repairs in Hoboken. Delays for full restoration could potentially last through Thanksgiving. We will provide an update tomorrow regarding timing as we know more about the repairs.”

Video via Reuters

IN THE MEANWHILE

In Monday’s alert, city officials advised residents to follow several safety and conservation measures.

• WATER CONSERVATION ADVISORY - In order to lessen demand on the system, residents throughout Hoboken and Hudson County are strongly urged to conserve water whenever possible or consider changing schedules to use less water during peak hours in the morning and evening.
• BOIL WATER ADVISORY - The boil water advisory remains in effect for the City of Hoboken until further notice. Residents should continue to boil their water for one minute for consumptive purposes. This includes drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, etc. Water does not need to be boiled for washing clothes or dishes. It is important that residents continue to boil water until further notice.
• WATER TRUCKS - Water trucks with clean drinking water are available at 333 River Street, the intersection of Newark Street and Adams Street, Hoboken High School (900 Clinton Street), Fox Hill Gardens (311 13th Street), and 14th Street and Sinatra Drive.
• PUBLIC SAFETY - The Hoboken Fire Department is fully operational and has the necessary resources to address any emergencies that may occur.
• TRAFFIC AND STREET CLOSURES - Residents are also urged to use public transportation as the City of Hoboken has diverted traffic from the area. Drivers are urged to enter and exit Hoboken through the north due to several street closures in southwest Hoboken. Observer Highway is closed west of Henderson Street to Jersey Avenue, and Harrison Street is closed from Paterson Avenue to Newark Street. Jackson Street is also closed from Newark Street to Paterson Avenue.

Send Hoboken news tips and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com