under pressure (not)
Water problems are persisting
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
By RONALD LEIR
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
A break in the city's water aqueduct temporarily disrupted water service to Bayonne for several hours on Saturday, and yesterday sections of Jersey City reported low pressure and Bayonne learned it may be having further problems.
Bayonne officials said it's not necessary to boil water or take other precautions, but water pressure in some areas may be very low.
Bayonne Municipal Utilities Authority Executive Director Stephen Gallo said the aqueduct - which carries water 12 miles from North Arlington through the Meadowlands and under the Hackensack River through Jersey City into Bayonne - began losing pressure when an 8-foot-long section of the 30-inch cast iron main along Hackensack Avenue cracked shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday.
Gallo said BMUA crews, working with United Water Jersey City, opened an interconnection with the Jersey City water system to provide alternate service to Bayonne while shutting off one end of the broken main near the new Lowe's store off Routes 1&9 in Jersey City.
Bayonne had "serviceable water pressure and fire protection" restored by 5:30 a.m., but it wasn't until 11:30 a.m. that the leak was stopped, Gallo said.
The broken pipe was repaired, flushed and repressured for service by noon Sunday, but by 3:30 p.m. yesterday, complications had developed, Gallo said.
"We switched over to our (Bayonne water main) system and the pressure dropped," Gallo said. "So we switched back to the Jersey City system and we're pressurizing the line and rechecking the system."
He said he suspected there was either a malfunctioning valve or another leak in the system.
United Water spokesman Rich Henning said because of the extreme heat conditions, "the demand for water is high and, with Bayonne drawing on our water interconnection, that's probably caused low pressure in Jersey City."
Some residents of Jersey City found themselves dry or nearly dry yesterday.
Jean Ball, a second-floor tenant at a five-story Kennedy Boulevard apartment building near Stevens Avenue, said yesterday, "I'm just getting a little dribble (from the sink). I can't flush. I haven't taken a shower since Friday." She said she'd like to leave her apartment and shop for water and groceries, "but I'm 68 and I've got a heart problem."
Low water pressure at Snyder High School in Jersey City meant that second-and third-floor restrooms couldn't be used until noon, school officials said, though the first-floor restrooms worked throughout the day.
The aqueduct's age - it was built during the early part of the 20th century - combined with the pounding of heavy truck traffic over it probably contributed to the break, Gallo said.
"Sections of it were relined in the early 1990s and the mains are relatively new, so it should be in pretty good shape overall," Gallo said. To reline the entire aqueduct could cost $7 million to $10 million, he said.
Gallo said there would be periodic updates about the water service throughout the day on Channel 78 on Cablevision of Bayonne and on Bay-TV, as well as on the Bayonne city Web site, http://www.bayonnenj.org.
pressure drop
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- bill 6-14-2005 6:09 pm
Water problems are persisting
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
By RONALD LEIR
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
A break in the city's water aqueduct temporarily disrupted water service to Bayonne for several hours on Saturday, and yesterday sections of Jersey City reported low pressure and Bayonne learned it may be having further problems.
Bayonne officials said it's not necessary to boil water or take other precautions, but water pressure in some areas may be very low.
Bayonne Municipal Utilities Authority Executive Director Stephen Gallo said the aqueduct - which carries water 12 miles from North Arlington through the Meadowlands and under the Hackensack River through Jersey City into Bayonne - began losing pressure when an 8-foot-long section of the 30-inch cast iron main along Hackensack Avenue cracked shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday.
Gallo said BMUA crews, working with United Water Jersey City, opened an interconnection with the Jersey City water system to provide alternate service to Bayonne while shutting off one end of the broken main near the new Lowe's store off Routes 1&9 in Jersey City.
Bayonne had "serviceable water pressure and fire protection" restored by 5:30 a.m., but it wasn't until 11:30 a.m. that the leak was stopped, Gallo said.
The broken pipe was repaired, flushed and repressured for service by noon Sunday, but by 3:30 p.m. yesterday, complications had developed, Gallo said.
"We switched over to our (Bayonne water main) system and the pressure dropped," Gallo said. "So we switched back to the Jersey City system and we're pressurizing the line and rechecking the system."
He said he suspected there was either a malfunctioning valve or another leak in the system.
United Water spokesman Rich Henning said because of the extreme heat conditions, "the demand for water is high and, with Bayonne drawing on our water interconnection, that's probably caused low pressure in Jersey City."
Some residents of Jersey City found themselves dry or nearly dry yesterday.
Jean Ball, a second-floor tenant at a five-story Kennedy Boulevard apartment building near Stevens Avenue, said yesterday, "I'm just getting a little dribble (from the sink). I can't flush. I haven't taken a shower since Friday." She said she'd like to leave her apartment and shop for water and groceries, "but I'm 68 and I've got a heart problem."
Low water pressure at Snyder High School in Jersey City meant that second-and third-floor restrooms couldn't be used until noon, school officials said, though the first-floor restrooms worked throughout the day.
The aqueduct's age - it was built during the early part of the 20th century - combined with the pounding of heavy truck traffic over it probably contributed to the break, Gallo said.
"Sections of it were relined in the early 1990s and the mains are relatively new, so it should be in pretty good shape overall," Gallo said. To reline the entire aqueduct could cost $7 million to $10 million, he said.
Gallo said there would be periodic updates about the water service throughout the day on Channel 78 on Cablevision of Bayonne and on Bay-TV, as well as on the Bayonne city Web site, http://www.bayonnenj.org.
- bill 6-14-2005 6:10 pm [add a comment]
pressure drop
- bill 6-15-2005 4:19 pm [add a comment]