Hoboken Water Main Break: Hospital evacuates patients, residents still unable to shower

Officials say water pressure should be gradually restored in the city of Hoboken a day after a water main burst left most residents without water or low water pressure.

Mayor Ravi Bhalla says crews have successfully sealed off the damaged water main, which he called “a critical step necessary for water to flow through the area and water pressure to return to the rest of the city.” Observer Highway and Madison Street on Tuesday evening.

Bhalla said Tuesday evening that water pressure should gradually recover over night, but city officials have warned residents that the water outage could continue until Wednesday morning. Veolia, the city’s water supply company, said crews are reopening valves to stabilize water pressure throughout the city.

Trouble in Hoboken began around noon Monday when a construction crew accidentally hit a water pipe while working on another project. Bhalla said the PSE&G contractor was working on the gas pipeline when it damaged a water line near the Jersey City border.

“We are very upset about the situation, I am very upset about this situation,” Bhalla said. “People can’t flush toilets, shower, brush their teeth. Basic things.”

Veolia reported that the tearing force had penetrated the two mains or their junction, and it insulated one 16-inch main, but was working on insulating the other. The company said it was safe to drink water (for those with water), but later in the evening said the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued “Precautionary advice on boiling water” for the city.

Residents of high-rise buildings and large buildings suffered the most from water cuts.

“The problem with a high-rise building is that there are many residential buildings in one area. In situations like this with low water pressure, water cannot rise to higher levels,” said Hoboken City Council member Tiffany Fisher.

Related concerns prompted the city to declare a state of emergency and close public schools and municipal offices on Tuesday, with all non-essential city services and entertainment canceled. The Hoboken School District said all schools would resume classes on Wednesday.

Hoboken University Medical Center began evacuating some patients in the evening due to water shortages, and one ER patient said that during the water shortage, staff treated her arm wound with everything they could, including “cleaning it with a water bottle.”

Chief Medical Officer John Rimmer said most ER calls are being redirected to other hospitals and only patients with life-threatening needs will be admitted, while the emergency room will remain open. Rimmer said the woman in labor was taken to another hospital as ambulances from nearby towns lined up outside the medical center to pick up patients. The rest were discharged early.

Neighbors lined up to fill jugs and containers with water after the city installed at least 10 water stations and placed portable toilets in Hoboken. The main challenge, Bhalla said, was to help buildings with large numbers of elderly people, especially those who cannot leave their homes.

The water main break also affected other towns in the area. Weehawken said in a series of tweets on tuesday afternoon that it reduced water pressure, and some residents “saw discolored water when the system rebooted.” The township also stated that the water was safe to drink, and no recommendation was made to boil the water.

A water main failure in Hoboken led to school closures and hospital evacuations. Gaby Acevedo reports.

Hoboken is no stranger to water breaks, but residents have expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of a timeline to fully fix the problem.

“The situation is pretty bad right now,” said Jasmeer Singh, who lives on the fifth floor of the building and still had no water on Tuesday evening. “There have been no updates. They say we have to wait.”

Christopher Halleron, Veolia’s communications manager, told NBC New York he “couldn’t give you a timeline. Our guys are working right now. We need to make sure we’re doing it right and safely.”

The mayor of Bhalla said the water shortage should never have happened, adding that “the people of Hoboken give their word that those responsible will be held accountable.”

Police have asked drivers to avoid the area between Observer Highway and Madison Street entirely as repairs continue into the night.