Pipes Burst in Uptown Hoboken

At approximately 2:30 a.m. on Monday morning, a water main broke at Ninth and Washington Streets, on the western side of the street, 20 feet from my apartment building. I had no idea this had happened until I left my house that morning at 9 a.m. I spoke with a police officer and a worker from United Water who told me the water was not safe to drink and it needed to be boiled. (Too late: I had already brushed my teeth and showered.) They were actually surprised to hear I even had water as it was supposed to be shut off.

When I arrived back home that night, at approximately 11:30 p.m. a five-foot crater of exposed pipes and cables that was being excavated welcomed me home, as United Water was still on the scene, now working under even wetter conditions as rain was drizzling. The nearest fire hydrant was still gushing water, being bled for precautionary reasons. Valves were being cleaned out. I asked one crew member how this happened and he said, "who knows" explaining it could have been the water pressure.

Restaurants in the immediate area closed due to the water main. Affixed to my and neighboring buildings was a sticker from United Water notifying us of "water supply interruption." The sticker tells you what time they started (7 p.m.) and approximately what time they'd finish (3 a.m.). I can attest and say they did work around the clock because there's nothing more soothing to fall asleep to than jackhammers. (See photos to see United Water's crew handle the water main.)

The night supervisor wasn't sure how many people the break had affected, or how far back it went, however when asked how this happened, he turned to me and said, "old age."

In this town, "old" pipes, and water in general, is nothing to scoff at, which is why I was surprised not to find more news coverage about this, considering water main breaks and water issues in Hoboken have been as common as double-parked cars on Washington Street.

In August, Hoboken faucets were discharging discolored water. United Water assured the water was safe, but the discoloration was "caused by high levels of naturally occurring minerals in the water and a buildup of harmless sediment."

Two weeks later the Hoboken Reporter issued the analysis of a report from United Water's parent company Suez Environment, letting Hoboken know how safe the 4.2 million gallons of water supplied every day truly is.

In the article Eric Pallant, professor of Environment Science at Allegheny Science who holds a Ph.D in Soil Science from Cornell University, a Master of Forest Science degree from Yale University, and a B.A. in Environment Science from Wesleyan University—needless to say this man is qualified—noted there was some cause for concern. The report found high levels of pathogens—"disease-causing organisms such as bacteria and viruses. Common sources are animal and human fecal waste"—in the Boonton Reservoir.

High levels of lead were also found.

In January, pipes burst underneath Bloomfield Street between Third and Fourth Streets, just hours after United Water patched up this section of the street.

In December 2008, a water main broke in front of the Dunkin' Donuts at Seventh and Washington Streets; on Eighth Street; and Adams Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets. It was speculated these pipes burst due to temperature changes. Weather fluctuating from cold to warm, or warm to cold temperatures may cause these 100-plus-year-old pipes to expand and crack.

In July 2007, all of Hoboken was affected by a water main break when a contractor accidentally ruptured a 36-inch pipe in Newport. (In case you didn't know, Hoboken receives its water from Jersey City.) I was going to the Mets game that night and had to shower at a friend's apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Even when water was restored, the pressure remained low into the night, and residents still had to boil water over the weekend.

This wasn't the first time Hoboken's water supply was affected by an "accident" in Jersey City. In December 1998, construction crews installing fiber optic cables along the Garden State Parkway ruptured a six-foot water main, cutting off water supply to Jersey City, which in turn cut off Hoboken's supply too. Residents did experience low water pressure and the water turned brown as well.

And as far back as October 1987, a 30-inch water main broke at Willow Avenue and 14th Street at 4:45 a.m. causing a more than usual traffic jam entering the Lincoln Tunnel.

For the past twenty-plus years Hoboken has been riddled with water main problems. How are we supposed to build up the northwest section, or any other part of town, when we can't even contain the existing infrastructure? Let's take care of what's below ground before building high rises above it.