Water still not fully restored days after NJ water main break

HALEDON, NJ (PIX11) — At a council meeting in the Borough of Haledon, the Manchester Utility Authority gave an update on the status of the water outage following the ongoing water main break in Paterson since last Friday. 

The agency told residents there’s still no timeline for when water will be fully restored, but crews are doing everything they can to get service back.

Their work includes slowly pressurizing the pipes and releasing air from the mains to prevent damage.

“We made necessary repairs,” said MUA Chairman Victor D’Ambrosio. “We developed a written plan for once this water starts entering the system, we can disperse it as quickly as possible and restart our system as quickly as possible.”

Charles Ferrer is a resident of the Borough of Haledon who has been living without water since the water main break. 

“It has not been fun because you don’t realize how important the water is until it’s not available to you,” Ferrer said. 

He joined several other residents at Thursday’s council meeting to express their frustrations and hear the latest updates on the ongoing outage.

“You don’t realize the little things that you miss,” said Ferrer. “We shower everyday and now you’re not? Or I’m going to the [YMCA] in Wyckoff or something to utilize their showers and things. So, it’s different but it’s not fun.”

Businesses are also feeling the strain. At Jimmy Geez Sports Bar & Grill, a potable water truck pumps in water daily to help the restaurant keep operating despite the disruption. 

“We’re doing about 500 gallons a day,” said Co-Owner Jimmy Garruto. “Rough cost right now is about $2,500 for the initial drop off of the tanker, and each additional day is $500.”

Mayor Michael Johnson tells PIX11 News that while some residents are slowly seeing water return, the outage is still affecting roughly a thousand properties in the borough. He said he’s in talks with lawmakers about legislation to help business owners recover some of their losses. He warned, however, that there’s also concern that another water main break could happen in Haledon.

“It’s good news that we’re getting some pressure and some water back into the line, but because that pressure is coming in and as it builds up — because the lines are so old and the infrastructure has to be updated, there’s a possibility that there might be a water main break somewhere,” Johnson said. 

In the meantime, the boil water advisory in the borough will continue, and there is no timeline for when it will be lifted.