Repairs underway for Clifton's third water main break since New Year's Day

Passaic Valley Water Commission crews were at East Parkway and Fenlon Boulevard in Clifton repairing a water main break on Monday, the third in the city since New Year's Day.

Crews were still repairing the broken 6-inch main around noon, said Bryan Frierson, senior public information officer for Passaic Valley Water Commission.

"Customers in the immediate area may experience low pressure, discolored or no water while repairs are made," Frierson said, thanking customers for their patience as repair crews worked "quickly and safely to remediate the issue."

On Sunday, by 5 p.m. the water company crews had completed repairs on a 12-inch main near Delawanna Avenue and Oak Street and on Jan. 1, they repaired a 6-inch water main on Dick Street between Howard and Speer avenues.

No boil water advisories were issued in connection with the main breaks, Frierson said.

"Water main breaks happen more frequently during the winter months because of colder temperatures," he said.

The public drinking water supplier is owned by the cities of Paterson, Clifton and Passaic, which use the water along with residents in Prospect Park and Woodland Park.

Other water main breaks

PVWC water mains are not the only ones breaking. On Dec. 14, 2022 traffic delays resulted from a Veolia Water main break on Route 3 in East Rutherford. Two lanes were shut down on the highway's eastbound side as drivers passed the scene, near the American Dream mall.

In October 2022 a water main break in Nutley in a 100-year-old North Jersey District Water Supply Commission 6-foot-wide pipe that supplies water to other Essex County towns caused Montclair and Glen Ridge to declare water emergencies.

Last August two Veolia Water main breaks were reported in a week during a heat wave as many Bergen County customers were already boiling water after E. coli was detected in the system. The broken mains were located in Paramus and Cliffside Park.

PVWC project

Passaic Valley Water Commission is also in the midst of replacing thousands of lead pipes delivering water to residents of Clifton, Passaic and Paterson, at no cost to customers.

The program, launched in early November, will replace at least 6,500 already identified lead service lines sending water to area homes, commission officials said late last year. Another 11,000 possible lead-lined pipes are still under review and could be included in the program.

Customers in Clifton, Passaic and Paterson are urged to visit the commission website, pvwc.com, to check on the status of their service line or schedule an inspection and replacement.

The program comes in the wake of a 2021 state law requiring water service providers to identify and replace all lead service lines by 2031. It is being funded by a loan from the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank with 77% principal forgiveness and federal contributions, water commission officials said.

Prevent frozen water pipes

The PVWC offers these tips to prevent frozen pipes in homes and businesses:

• Check sprinkler or irrigation systems: Make sure the sprinkler system is fully drained and that water to that area has been turned off.

• Identify your home’s freezing points: Check your home for pipes in areas that might be prone to freezing such as crawl spaces, unheated rooms, basements, garages, and exterior walls.

• Protect your pipes: Where pipes are exposed to the cold, wrap them with insulation or heat tape or other material that will help keep them from freezing.

• Locate and identify the main water shut-off valve so you know where it is in case of an emergency.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Clifton NJ water main break third in January