Suez Set To Replace Water Mains In Downtown Toms River Streets

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Water company employees will be replacing a 70-year-old water main in downtown Toms River beginning next week, Suez officials announced Friday.

The water main was put into service in the 1950s and has reached the end of its useful life, the company said, and will be replaced with with 6-inch, 8-inch and 12-inch ductile iron pipe.

The $3 million project will replace about 2-1/2 miles of water main "and will support the critical need for service reliability, especially since the community must have access to clean and safe water during the Covid-19 crisis," the company said.

Ductile iron pipe is easier to install and it has "better vibration damping properties rendering ductile iron mechanical components noticeably quieter," the company said.

The work is scheduled to begin Tuesday. The following streets will receive the new mains: Clinton Avenue; Fairacres Drive; Franklin Avenue; Grand Avenue; Hadley Avenue; Lafayette Avenue; Lexington Avenue, and Madison Avenue.

"We continue to make ongoing, significant, proactive investments in aging infrastructure to ensure service reliability, water quality and fire protection for our customers who depend on us every day," said Jim Mastrokalos, director of operations for Suez.

Customers affected by the project will be notified in advance of specific dates and times when there will be temporary water interruptions, lane shifts or traffic detours.

Crews are scheduled to work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily during the week, except for Nov. 26 and 27.

The company expects to complete the project, including milling and paving, by March and final road restoration is anticipated by June.

Residents who see Suez crews working in the streets are are asked to stand at least 10 feet away from the work site to protect everyone’s health and safety.

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