Boil water advisory for 4 towns after water main break

by Hartriono B. Sastrowardoyo and Susanne Cervenka, originally posted on July 2, 2016

 

LITTLE SILVER – Residents in four towns are being told to boil their water as a precaution after a 36-inch water main broke around midnight on Rumson and Grant places in Little Silver.

Fair Haven, Little Silver, Red Bank and Rumson are under a boil water advisory, New Jersey American Water spokesman Peter Eschbach said.

“It really put thousands of customers at very, very low pressure and some customers at no water,” he said.

The company is going door-to-door to hand out bottled water to the individuals impacted by the water main break, Eschbach said. New Jersey American Water is bringing in a truckload of water and will work with Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management to distribute it.

Customers in areas surrounding the four impacted towns have reported low pressure and dirty water, which is likely a side effect of the break, he said.

New Jersey American Water redirected water flow to preserve pressure to customers, which can kick up sediment in water pipes. Eschbach said these customers should let their water run until the sediment clears, but they do not need boil water.

New Jersey American Water is working to repair the broken water pipe, Eschbach said. Crews have pumped the water out of the area where the break occurred and are excavating the area to get a clearer view of the break.

They won’t know for sure what caused the break until then, but crews suspect power fluctuations with last night’s storms caused their pumps to turn on and off, Eschbach said.

A wave of high water pressure from the pump turning back on may have triggered a weak spot in the pipe to fail. New Jersey American Water staff in their control rooms immediately noticed the loss in pressure, he said.

The water main here dates to 1901, however the company has not had any problems with it in the past, he said.

Eschbach said the repair could complete by early evening today.

“Our priority is keeping our customers in water service,” he said.

 

Customers wishing more information can visit their website at www.newjerseyamwater.com, under the Alerts Notifications section, check the water company’s Facebook page, or call customer service toll-free at 800-272-1325.

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