Water service restored to parts of Paterson after new main break

NEW JERSEY - Water service was successfully restored to residents of Paterson’s Riverside section following this weekend's water main break.

The Boil Water Advisory remains in effect for:

• Customers in Paterson outside of the area specified above and the Borough of Prospect Park
• Customers served by the Manchester Utilities Authority (NJ1603001) in Haledon and North Haledon

This is a breaking news update. A previous version of this report is below.

Paterson residents are once again dealing with a major water main break after a 42-inch main burst Sunday morning in the Riverside section of the city. 

Officials say the break, near North First and Arch Streets, has left up to 18,000 customers with little to no water pressure.

What we know:

Crews have been working around the clock to repair the line, but as of Monday morning, there was still no estimate on when service would be fully restored. "This is the last thing people here want to hear," one resident said, noting that the city had just completed repairs on another line last week.

The backstory:

The latest rupture is separate from the one earlier this month near Hinchliffe Stadium, where crews fixed 24-inch and 30-inch pipelines. That August 8th break triggered a boil water advisory for 77,000 customers. While the advisory was lifted last week for most, it remains in effect for some customers, including those in the borough of Prospect Park and those served by the Manchester Utilities Authority.

Residents say the repeated disruptions are exhausting, "usually we have good water, but this time, I don’t know what is going on in Paterson. They don’t have water," one resident told FOX 5 NY. Others say they’ve had to spend heavily on bottled water just to get by.

Local elected officials are also raising concerns about Paterson’s aging infrastructure. "This could happen everywhere around the city, especially in this area, where the pipes are real old," City Council official Luiz Velez said. "Summer is not over, and a lot of people still need water."

What they're saying:

City officials say the pipes being repaired now are between 120 and 140 years old. A full replacement would cost millions of dollars, money the city doesn’t currently have on hand. That uncertainty leaves residents worried that more breaks could be on the horizon.

What's next:

For now, anyone under an active boil water advisory is urged to boil water for at least one minute before drinking, cooking, or brushing teeth. Residents in need of bottled water or assistance are encouraged to contact City Hall.

As crews continue working without a clear repair timeline, many in Paterson are left wondering how long they’ll have to wait before safe, reliable water flows again.