Water Emergency Continues In Montclair After Main Break: Update

This article was updated at 1 p.m. on Oct. 11

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A local state of emergency lingers in Montclair after last week’s major water main break in Nutley.

Montclair public safety officials declared a local state of emergency on Saturday in connection with a large water main break that is affecting several towns in North Jersey. It remains in place as of Tuesday morning.

>> Read More: State Of Emergency In Montclair After Water Main Break (Videos)

>> Read More: Here's What Is Going On With The Water, Montclair Councilman Says

During the state of emergency, Montclair residents must avoid any "non-essential use of water" and use water "only when absolutely necessary," the Office of Emergency Management said.

Town officials said that non-essential uses of water include:

• "The watering of lawns"
• "The watering of outdoor gardens, landscaped areas, trees, shrubs and other outdoor plants"
• "Non-commercial washing of automobiles and trucks"
• "The washing of streets, driveways, and sidewalks"
• "The serving of water in restaurants, clubs or eating places unless specifically requested by the individual"
• "Ornamental water use including, but not limited to, fountains, artificial water falls, and reflecting pools"
• "Running partial loads in washing machines and dishwashers"
• "Operating non-essential ice machines"

The fallout from Wednesday’s break in Nutley spurred a boil water advisory in Bloomfield and caused alerts in Newark, Montclair, Belleville and Glen Ridge. Bloomfield has been the only one of those municipalities to issue a boil water advisory so far. Read More: Large NJ Water Main Break Causes Boil Advisory, Service Issues (Update)

WATER MAIN BREAK: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR

The broken 74-inch water main, which is located in Nutley, is operated by the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission (NJDWSC), which oversees the largest regional water supply in the state of New Jersey. According to the NJDWSC website, contracting municipalities include Newark, Paterson, Kearny, Bayonne, Passaic, Wayne, Bloomfield, Clifton, Montclair, Nutley, Cedar Grove and Glen Ridge.

A spokesperson with the NJDWSC told Patch last week that crews have been on the job “around the clock” since the break took place, and have been working with local police and other public safety officials on traffic and other related issues.

“The exact reason for the compromise of the pipe is under investigation,” he added.

The break on the NJDWSC’s line also interrupted service on a separate Newark water main that runs next to it, Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller said last week.

Spiller said Sunday that the NJDWSC “seems to have made significant progress” and is “anticipating resolution in the very near future.” He added that it seems the leak has been located and sealed, and the agency is in the process of testing the lines and restoring water flow – which would likely take 24 to 48 hours.

Bloomfield town officials said the situation is "unprecedented," and affected three counties and more than 300,000 residents of North Jersey.

Montclair and Glen Ridge have each issued local states of emergency, asking residents to stop all “non-essential” use of water until the situation is fixed.

Amid the service issues, some towns have been helping their neighbors keep the water flowing, local officials say.

“Currently, we have connected our system with Cedar Grove and they are helping us with approximately 1,500 gallons per minute at this time,” Spiller said last week.

“Additionally, by connecting to Verona’s system, we have added 800 gallons per minute. Clifton is assisting us with 1,000 gallons per minute,” the town’s mayor added. “New Jersey American Water Company – a private company – has been able to add 600 gallons per minute to our system to also assist.”

Last week’s water main break come on the heels of another major break that took place in August. That break – which originated in Belleville – caused boil water advisories that lingered for days in the town, as well as Newark and Bloomfield. Read More: Huge Water Main Break Wreaks Havoc In 3 Essex County Towns

PREVIOUS UPDATES IN MONTCLAIR

Montclair officials released their first statement about the break on Oct. 7, noting that “brown water” was seen throughout the township. The town’s message read:

“The Montclair Water Bureau is aware of the brown water occurring throughout the system. Our supplier North Jersey District Supply Commission has a water main break on the 72-inch transmission line. Due to the supplier trying to isolate the break in the overnight Montclair had to move to another State approved water source. In doing so, the water flow was reversed in respective water mains between water sources, stirring up mineral content and causing brown water. The water does not pose a health hazards to the public and although aesthetically unpleasant poses no risk.”

A follow-up advisory was issued later that day:

“The Township of Montclair is asking the community to conserve water over the next 72 hours due to a North Jersey District Water Supply Commission (“NJDWSC”) leak in Nutley. Starting this evening, NJDWSC plans to reduce its water pressure to allow for repair of its leak. Our Township’s Department of Utilities has taken multiple proactive measures and initiated our contingency plans in preparation for possible impact to the Township’s water pressure caused by NJDWSC. We are monitoring information received from NJDWSC and believe that actions taken by NJDWSC during its repair process could reduce Township water pressure. Over the next 72 hours, it is important that we all do what we can during this emergency repair," said Mayor Sean M. Spiller. "We are asking that Montclair residents and businesses moderate their water consumption while North Jersey District Water Supply Commission repairs its water line. Simple steps over the next 72 hours, such as eliminating landscape watering and avoiding high water-use activities like washing cars, will assist in preserving Township water pressure and our water supply and will help to avoid the need for other more restrictive measures. The Township’s Department of Utilities will continue to monitor NJDWSC activity while it makes its needed repair.”

Montclair officials released one more message about the water woes on Oct. 7:

“Thanks to everyone for the attention to conserving water as crews work to fix the North Jersey District Water Supply (NJDWSC) water main leak in Nutley that happened on Wednesday. We are grateful for the fast action and collaboration of Township leaders, our Fire Department, County Officials and the Governor's Office. We have established the means to maintain water pressure for our residents, as the repair continues. The Mayor is receiving updates regarding the expected time the full repair will be completed. We will keep residents updated. We ask for your continued cooperation in conservation until the repair is completed. If you are experiencing any problems with your water, please contact the Montclair Water Department at 973-744-4600.”

Township public safety officials declared a local state of emergency on Oct. 8. Mayor Spiller released a video statement about the issues, which can be seen below.

According to Spiller:

“Good afternoon Montclair residents and businesses. I reach out today with an urgent update and request regarding an ongoing water crisis affecting the region and our town specifically. While I will share additional details, the most important thing to note at this time is that we have declared a state of emergency for Montclair effective at 3 pm today prohibiting the non-essential use of water. On Wednesday of this last week, the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission experienced a major water main break in Nutley on a six-foot diameter line. In addition, it is my understanding that the break has also interrupted service on a four-foot Newark water main that runs next to it. The impact of this break has been devastating. While we have been working non-stop to try and mitigate the impact on our township – and thank you to those who have followed notifications asking for a voluntary reduction in water use – we are not experiencing enough water use reduction to meet our supply challenge. At approximately 10 pm last night, with the ongoing efforts by the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission to fix their pipe being unsuccessful, and other water supply efforts failing, we determined that we would not have water for the township by approximately midnight last night.”

Spiller continued:

“I immediately contacted the Governor to directly discuss some of the ideas our team had already been in constant contact with NJDEP and the county and state OEM about. Thankfully, with everyone working together, we were able to meet our water use demands beyond the midnight hour. With the steps we have taken, and with your assistance, I am optimistic that we can meet the moment. Currently, we have connected our system with Cedar Grove and they are helping us with approximately 1500 gallons per minute at this time. Additionally, by connecting to Verona’s system, we have added 800 gallons per minute. Clifton is assisting us with 1000 gallons per minute. New Jersey American Water Company – a private company – has been able to add 600 gallons per minute to our system to also assist. We currently have our wells working at full capacity and every one of our pumps is being used to infuse the additional water I noted. Our director of utilities has also begun the process of digging channels through Grove Street to connect our water system with the Passaic Valley Water Commission water supply. If we are successful – a process that likely will take days – if should allow us additional water flow into our system. Thankfully, with mutual aid, the Essex County Fire Coordinator stands ready with resources to assist and we have asked for and received assistance from Bergen County OEM to provide us with water tankers staged in town, that can be used in the event our fire department has to fight a fire – and will now be able to do so without draining any water from our system. We have so far stockpiled 38 pallets of bottled water – each containing approximately 80 cases of water – should they be needed, which would be staged at our Department of Community Services yard. That’s where you drop off recycling. If needed, our emergency services would bring bottled water to those who are homebound or face challenges picking up water. I have had direct conversations with our Congressional delegation who is working on any federal assistance to provide potable water on-site and to see if it is possible to receive any FEMA assistance without the declaration of a federal emergency. We are also seeing if the National Guard has additional pumps or can provide North Jersey District Water Supply with any assistance in fixing their broken pipe. We have requested additional pumps, very difficult to get given the current disaster in Florida, additional generators, water hoses, and potable water from the County OEM as well. Our biggest risks right now are that any of the many pumps we are overworking burn out or fail in any way. We also run the risk of any water main break on our system because it is being stressed in differing ways than normal. We are also aware that the allocation from Cedar Grove may need to be reduced as they are facing water limitations – as is every town in the region currently. But, one of the biggest challenges that we need you to assist with is water use reduction. I will again stress, we have issued a state of emergency that prohibits the non-essential use of water.”

The mayor concluded:

“Normally we see an increase in use town-wide between 4 and 8 pm, and again at 11 pm. Further, as we get into Monday of next week, we see an increase as people prepare for work. We are asking resident and businesses to do all you can, to please reduce your water usage. While again, I am confident in our actions and planning thus far, if any of the countless measures we have taken to try and get more water into our system fail, the outcome would likely be a loss of water pressure resulting in a low-pressure boil water scenario, a non-drinkable water declaration – even despite water boiling – or just no water at all coming out of your water pipes in your homes and our businesses. I will stress to all our businesses as well, if we enter either of the second two scenarios, it will be almost impossible for many businesses to operate. Unfortunately, currently, we are hearing that the North Jersey District Water Supply has still yet to make any significant progress, as they are dealing with over 100-year-old pipes in that section and trying to close 100-year-old valves that do not functioning properly. I will continue to keep you updated on this situation and I thank you for your efforts during this crisis. Each one of us can make a huge difference in this moment. Lastly, knowing how little sleep our dedicated staff has been getting, I want to thank every one of the township employees that have been working not-stop to get us to this point. I want to specifically thank Utilities Director Gary Obszarny and his team, Township Manager Tim Stafford, Fire Chief John Herrmann and our Montclair firefighters, and Chief Information Officer Tony Fan. I also want to personally thank the governor and our other elected officials for taking my calls and for immediately committing to help in any area that we have asked. Again, I am confident that with the steps we have taken and with your actions, we will be able to maintain useful water flow through our systems and I thank you for the role you will play in ensuring that’s exactly what happens.”

Spiller provided another update on Sunday. According to the mayor:

“Good evening Montclair residents and businesses. I come to you tonight with the very latest information on the water emergency affecting Montclair and our surrounding region. First, thanks to all your efforts in limiting water use to only essential needs, we have given ourselves the time to make significant progress with the efforts to keep water flowing in Montclair. I just came from our Grove Street pumping location where the good news is that the piping, connection valves, and fittings to connect our township supply to the Passaic Valley water system is going very well. While we had anticipated it may be into tomorrow before that was complete, thanks to just some amazing efforts it looks like that may be completed in the next couple of hours. And if you are on-site you see the really creative ways it took to get that to happen. Additionally, we have received news that the North Jersey District Water Commission seems to have made significant progress also. I have been informed that while the issue has not totally been resolved they are anticipating resolution in the very near future. It seems that the leak has been located and sealed and they are in the process of testing the lines and restoring water flow. That process will likely take 24 to 48 hours. Given that time frame, it is still critical that residents and business continue to limit water use for only essential purposes – we have listed examples of non-essential use in our updates. Also, please try to limit how much water you use, even if it is for something that you have to use it for.”

The mayor continued:

“If we continue to conserve our use, with the steps we have taken, we should continue to maintain our pressure and flow. Should we experience any loss of pressure, we will begin to immediately distribute water where needed and open a water pickup site at the DPW yard. At this juncture, I am very confident that given the steps we have taken, we will successfully navigate this challenge. We have found solutions to carry us through a prolonged period of water source uncertainty, we have all done what we can to limit use, and we have worked to provide redundancies should anything fail. To that point, I was able to meet today with Governor Murphy and I was also able to speak with both Congresswoman Sherrill and Congressman Payne. They continue to assist in the efforts to provide backup pumps and necessary supplies. As this remains a fluid situation, I will continue to post updates on social media and through our township alert systems. Please ask your friends and neighbors to be sure to sign up for any of those alert systems or communications that I put out. It will allow us to better communicate in this emergency, and any in the future. Lastly tonight, I want to again thank all of you for your role in helping us through this crisis. I want to thank all the individuals who have spent countless hours planning in OEM meetings, the teams working on running pipe, those collecting bottled water, managing traffic flow, and doing the countless things that have needed to come together to get this to work. I also want to thank so many of our neighboring towns who have helped us by giving us access to their water systems, their fire crews, their DPW crews and so much more. Thank you. To everyone tonight, I hope that my next updates continue to be positive and that we are through this emergency shortly. With your help, I am confident that we will be.”

Montclair town officials gave another update on Tuesday, noting that the local state of emergency remains in place:

"North Jersey District Water Supply Commission personnel sealed its 72-inch main break and the NJDWSC is working to fully restore its water supply to its affected towns. Full-service restoration by NJDWSC includes refilling, disinfection and flushing of its 72-inch main, testing of its lines and treatment and monitoring of its water supply and may take another 24 hours. The Montclair Department of Utilities completed its work on connecting the Township’s water system to the Passaic Valley Water Commission system. As such, Township water tanks are filling at this time. The State of Emergency and prohibition on non-essential water use remains in place in case there is a pressure loss during NJDWSC‘s restoration effort."

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