Boil water advisory for all of Paterson due to large water main break near Hinchcliffe Stadium
PATERSON, New Jersey (WABC) -- Many residents and businesses remain without water after a 30-inch water main broke near Hinchcliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey.
The break happened on a small street behind the stadium and adjacent to Great Falls National Parks just after 6 a.m. on Friday, forcing the city to issue a boil water advisory and sending residents scrambling for cases of water.
After spending all day Friday trying to get to the rupture pipe, crews were back on Saturday working to fix the leak. But due the location of the break, age of the system, local topography and other nearby infrastructure, access has been difficult and repairs have been delayed, according to the Passaic Valley Water Commission.
"It is a difficult locator, right next to Hinchcliffe on the side of a hill about 10 to 15 feet deep in a wooded area," said Jim Mueller of the Passaic Valley Water Commission.
As a result of the water main break, the commission expanded its boil water advisory to include residents and businesses in the entire city of Paterson, and the Borough of Prospect Park.
Officials estimate they will complete repairs in the next 36-48 hours. The boil water advisory remains in effect until repairs are completed and testing shows water quality to be safe.
The Passaic Valley Water Commission says it is working with the county's office of emergency management to establish comfort stations and portable restrooms for those impacted.
Starting at noon on Saturday, the utilities company will also be providing free bottled water to residents at Hillford Park at the corner of North 8th and Oxford Streets in Paterson. Proof of residency in Paterson or Prospect Park is required.
"The city is very old and as a result we have pipes that are essentially hundreds of years old, dating back to the 1800s," said Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh.
Crews attempted to redirect water from other lines until it is fixed, according to a representative from the Passaic Valley Water Commission.
Officials say customers in Paterson and Prospect Park may experience low pressure, discolored water, or temporary service interruption during repairs.
NewsCopter 7 was over the scene showing water being diverted into the woods and then down into the Passaic River.
The most impacted neighborhoods are Hillcrest and Northside. The city offered cases of water to affected residents Friday evening, with the Paterson Fire Department handing out cases at 1 Jasper St.
Bottled water was also available in the municipal building in in Prospect Park, New Jersey for residents who live on Hopper, E Main, N 6th, N 7th, N 8th, N 9th, or Haledon, Fairview, Brown, Planten, Struyk, or Prescott below N 9th.
However, residents who showed up for the water were quickly met with obstacles.
Some desperate residents double parked their cars with nowhere to pull over. They left empty-handed because the city temporarily ran out of water. Instead, some went home with a parking ticket. It was an insult added to injury.
"No, it's not fair," said resident Gabriel Ramirez. "I'm not going to wait no more here. I had like an hour here already."
He says he waited for an hour, didn't get any water and then got a ticket.
"This is how police in Paterson are. This is what it is," Ramirez said.
Some residents waited almost two hours for water, and by the time more arrived, the two cases per household ration was down to one.
Meanwhile, the New Jersey Jackals announced Friday night's game against the Brockton Rox was postponed as a result of the water main break.
So far, there's not a lot of details about the cause, and it's not clear how long it will take to fix.
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