Mayor Will Investigate 'Stakeholders' After Hoboken Water Main Break (Latest Updates)

HOBOKEN, NJ — As Hoboken's water service continues to return to normal, Mayor Ravi Bhalla told the media Wednesday that he will be "taking appropriate action" after reviewing the actions of stakeholders involved in Monday's water main break.

(UPDATE: The boil water advisory was lifted Thursday. Read more here.)

“I can assure you that when the boil water advisory is lifted, we will be reviewing all of the facts and actions of all relevant stakeholders, and taking appropriate action to protect the interests of the city and our residents,” he said in a comment to NJ.com that was confirmed by a city spokesperson on Wednesday.

Bhalla and Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher had both expressed frustration in separate messages on Tuesday (see them below) with the timeliness with which the city got information about from the water company, Veolia.

Also Wednesday, the city said that Observer Highway had reopened to traffic and street sweeping would resume Thursday.

On Thursday night, a Veolia spokesperson told NBC that the company had relayed the new information about the water to the DEP and city as soon as they got close to the break and found out, but a resident wondered why they kept saying it was safe if they didn't know:

Other Updates

The water line was struck accidentally by a contractor doing work for the power company, PSE&G, on Monday, according to officials.

Hours after water service returned to many homes on Tuesday, the city issued the "boil water" advisory late Tuesday night. Read about the advisory here.

Public schools reopened on Wednesday after closing Tuesday due to the lack of water.

"Veolia has isolated the ruptured main. Repairs to the 16-inch main will continue into the night. Veolia reports residents will begin to see water return and water pressure increase over the next few hours," the city announced around 6 p.m. Tuesday.

What Else?

"Veolia also warns that as repairs are made, due to fluctuations in water pressure, future water main breaks are possible as the system stabilizes," the city said Tuesday. "Hoboken is still under a State of Emergency. Please remember to avoid southwest Hoboken. If you must enter or exit the city, please do so from the north end of Hoboken."

A message to residents from Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher said that on Tuesday, "The water pressure was lowered dramatically by Veolia without them informing the city. They did this, after trying other strategies, so that they could finally isolate the break (which they did) and begin repairing it. This is a temporary measure and I understand we are already seeing some restoration of pressure citywide with the hope of full stabilization within the next few hours (fingers crossed)."

Mayor Ravi Bhalla had said in a letter earlier on Tuesday (below) that residents "have every right to be disappointed and upset."

Keep refreshing this page for new updates and photos.

The letter reads:

Veolia Water said Tuesday that it was "difficult to isolate the main":

The city said the break was caused by a power company (PSE&G) contractor who hit the main during construction.

The night before, Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher wrote, "My understanding is that water pressure is hit or miss across the city and that the break has been more complicated than expected. This may be a while so here are a few basic suggestions ... If you have water now, fill some containers and your bathtub."

The city gave out a list of locations around town offering nondrinkable water for toilets. See below for the list.

City's Tuesday Updates

The city gave several important updates at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Read those updates below.

Hoboken's Tuesday Message:

The city remains under a State of Emergency due to a water main break caused by a PSE&G contractor who struck a water main at Observer Highway and Madison Street on Feb. 27.

Drivers should continue to avoid southwest Hoboken and use northern routes to enter and exit the City.

Overnight, Veolia transitioned the City from the Jersey City water feed to the Weehawken feed. While a larger number of residences have access to water, those living in buildings on higher floors may continue to have low to no water pressure. Veolia remains on site and is attempting to isolate the broken main while not cutting water to the entire city. They are getting closer to identifying the exact location of the break, but because of the complexity of the water main infrastructure at that location and the interconnectivity with Jersey City, they have been unable to isolate the broken main.

No boil water advisory has been issued and Veolia has stated the water is safe to drink. In the event there is any discoloration of water, residents are advised to let the water run to flush out localized
systems.

Businesses without running water including restaurants, salons, gyms, medical offices, etc must remain closed per the Health Department. Any business with running water can continue to operate.

The city and Veolia have established seven locations where drinking water in water buffaloes (large water jugs) are available. Residents must bring their own container to fill. The list of updated locations is as follows:

1. Hoboken University Medical Center, on Clinton Street between Third and Fourth Streets.
2. 220 Adams St.
3. 221 Jackson St.
4. Fox Hills, 311 13th St.
5. Fourth and Harrison Streets
6. Columbian Towers, 76 Bloomfield St.
7. Church Towers, 5th and Clinton Streets

The Hoboken Fire Department will have a water tanker of non-drinkable water for dishwashing, bathing, toilet flushing, etc, available at the Hoboken Fire House at 13th Street and Washington Street. The Fire Department may use the tanker at various points throughout the day for fire suppression, as needed, so it may not be readily available at all hours. Residents must bring their own containers to fill. This water is not drinkable.

All municipal offices will remain closed today, Feb. 28, due to water main impacts.

Found A Pipe From 1890

For more than a year, the city has been in the process of replacing water lines that are over a century old, and has suffered more than six water main breaks in four months. When fixing a water pipe last spring, workers spied a pipe that said 1890 on it.

The southwest corner of Hoboken suffered another water main break three weeks ago. Read more about that here.