A water main break in Nutley spanning over 70 inches on the morning of October 5th has caused water problems for several North Jersey towns over the past few days. Towns including Bloomfield, Montclair, Glen Ridge, Nutley, and Belleville — as well as others in Essex, Passaic, and even Hudson County — have been affected, including over 300,000 local residents. Now, as of Saturday, October 8th, a state of emergency is in effect for Montclair and Glen Ridge due to issues from the main break. To inform you on what to do, as well as prepare you for a future emergency like this, we’ve rounded up what we know. Read on to learn more about the water emergency and how to stay safe during it.
The Details
A local state of emergency was declared in the Township of Montclair on Saturday, October 8th due to ongoing issues caused by the water main break, saying that “Because of New Jersey District Water Supply Commission’s effort to repair a leak to its 72-inch aqueduct in Nutley, New Jersey, the Township is suffering a reduction in water supply and may suffer continued loss of water pressure”. Montclair Mayor Sean Spillar also sent out a video alert that same day to inform residents of the situation. An order went into effect at 3PM that day, telling residents to avoid any “non-essential use of water” and to “use water only when absolutely necessary”. A proclamation of local disaster/emergency was also sent out by the Borough of Glen Ridge on Saturday, October 8th, stating the same actions. The state of emergency is still in effect as of Monday, October 10th.
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What to Know + How to Stay Safe
When there’s a local water emergency like this, towns will often tell residents to limit their use of non-essential water. Per Patch, Montclair town officials gave these examples of non-essential water uses:
- The watering of lawns
- The watering of outdoor gardens, landscaped areas, trees, shrubs + other outdoor plants
- Non-commercial washing of automobiles + trucks
- The washing of streets, driveways, + sidewalks
- The serving of water in restaurants, clubs, or eating places unless specifically requested by the individual
- Ornamental water use including, but not limited to, fountains, artificial waterfalls, + reflecting pools
- Running partial loads in washing machines + dishwashers
- Operating non-essential ice machines
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Residents should also keep an eye out for boil water advisories in the event that their town activates one during water emergencies. In the case of the Nutley water main break, there is only a boil water advisory in Bloomfield.
