Paterson Water Main Breaks: Aging Pipes and Boil Water Advisories

Widespread Water Issues in Paterson

• 💧 Thousands of customers in Paterson, New Jersey, have been under a boil water advisory for 18 days due to three water main breaks this month.
• 🏠 Residents and businesses are questioning the safety of the water system, with one resident describing the water as "brown" and unsafe.

Recent Water Main Break

• 💥 A significant 42-inch water main break occurred on First and Arch Street on Saturday, leaving 18,000 people in the Riverside section without water.
• ⚠️ The borough of Fair Lawn was also impacted by this incident.

Blame and Systemic Problems

• 🏛️ A council member blamed city leadership for poor management and a lack of upkeep regarding the water infrastructure.
• 📅 Saturday's break was the third incident this month, following a previous leak near Hinchliff Stadium on August 8th that affected approximately 100,000 customers.

Water Quality Improvement Efforts

• 🔬 A flushing operation to improve water quality was underway but was suspended due to the latest break; it is scheduled to resume 24/7.
• ⏳ The executive director of the Pequannock Valley Water Commission stated that the commission has earmarked $800 million for improvements, acknowledging that these major projects take time to implement.
• 🗓️ The commission plans to begin bidding on some new projects within the next 6 to 9 months.