A disastrous midweek water main break continues to cause headaches for many in New Jersey.
Officials said water had been gushing out of the 74-inch water main in Nutley after its break on Wednesday, prompting flooding concerns and boil water advisories by the weekend.
The pipe burst at Bloomfield Avenue and Church Street, but it's since had a huge impact across three counties: Essex, Hudson and Passaic.
Among the problems, Bloomfield is still under a boil water advisory and customers in Newark have reported low water pressure. The North Jersey District Water Supply Commission is still working to repair the main.
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Two towns, Montclair and Glen Ridge, declared water emergencies on Saturday to limit the use of "non-essential" water for the time being.
Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller called the break's impact devastating and reached out to Gov. Phil Murphy to find new water resources to aid the town.
"We are still just not experiencing enough water use reduction to meet our supply challenge," Spiller said in a video message Saturday.
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Residents near the break tried to prevent flooding as best they could, but many couldn't prevent the rising nightmare from destroying property.
"I probably lost my washer, my dryer, my furnace, my hot water heater. I do construction, so I probably have a couple thousand dollars of tools that are in my basement under water," Rick Lever, who lives on Bloomfield Avenue, said Friday.
Lever said that water in his basement and backyard had been rising every hour since Wednesday morning.
Newark says the main that broke is operated by the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission. The cause of the break is under investigation.
In August, a monster water main break wreaked havoc in Newark and nearby communities, impacting more than 100,000 people as hospitals grappled with diversions and officials planned door-to-door outreach. At the same time, emergency crews responded to at least one case where a woman's car was swallowed by a sudden sinkhole.
The 42-inch, 140-year-old pipe broke in Branch Brook Park on the border of Newark and neighboring Belleville.
