Residents across Hoboken and Jersey City were left grappling with the consequences of a major water main break early Tuesday morning.
Crews from Veolia Water were called on Monday to Eighteenth Street and Jersey Avenue in Jersey City, right along its border with Hoboken, according to a statement from the local utility company. When they arrived around 5 p.m., they discovered a major break to a 36-inch water main, sending workers on a race to repair the damage.
“Customers in the vicinity my encounter low pressure and/or discolored water from naturally occurring sediments stirred up within the main,” Veolia said.
The company also recommended that residents “flush taps” amid the repair efforts, which essentially means running water for a few minutes prior to use.
Around 6 a.m., Tuesday, Veolia said crews were still working to repair the break. As a result, Hoboken was placed under a boil water advisory, though no such directive has yet been issued for Jersey City, according to the local Patch.
Hoboken schools are also operating with a 90-minute delay, with doors set to open at 9:45 a.m.
“Veolia is on sight trying to switch Hoboken’s water feed over to a second access point that was installed when we had the last water main break specifically for situations like this,” Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher told Patch.
What exactly caused the break remains unclear.
