Full Notification

The City remains under a State of Emergency due to a water main break caused by a PSE&G contractor who struck a water main at Observer Highway and Madison Street on Feb. 27.

Drivers should continue to avoid southwest Hoboken and use northern routes to enter and exit the City. 

Overnight, Veolia transitioned the City from the Jersey City water feed to the Weehawken feed. While a larger number of residences have access to water, those living in buildings on higher floors may continue to have low to no water pressure. Veolia remains on site and is attempting to isolate the broken main while not cutting water to the entire City. They are getting closer to identifying the exact location of the break, but because of the complexity of the water main infrastructure at that location and the interconnectivity with Jersey City, they have been unable to isolate the broken main. 

No boil water advisory has been issued and Veolia has stated the water is safe to drink. In the event there is any discoloration of  water, residents are advised to let the water run to flush out localized systems. 

Businesses without running water including restaurants, salons, gyms, medical offices,  etc must remain closed per the Health Department. Any business with running water can continue to operate. 

The City and Veolia have established 7 locations where drinking water in water buffalos (large water jugs) are available. Residents must bring their own container to fill. The list of updated locations is as follows: 

1. Hoboken University Medical Center, on Clinton Street between Third and Fourth Streets.
2. 220 Adams St.
3. 221 Jackson St.
4. Fox Hills, 311 13th St.   
5. Fourth and Harrison Streets 
6. Columbian Towers, 76 Bloomfield St. 
7. Church Towers, 5th and Clinton Streets

The Hoboken Fire Department will have a water tanker of non-drinkable water for dishwashing, bathing, toilet flushing, etc, available at the Hoboken Fire House at 13th Street and Washington Street. The Fire Department may use the tanker at various points throughout the day for fire suppression, as needed, so it may not be readily available at all hours. Residents must bring their own containers to fill. This water is not drinkable. 

All municipal offices will remain closed today, Feb. 28, due to water main impacts. 

Although this water main break was caused by a PSE&G contractor who hit the main during construction, below is an FAQ on Hoboken's water infrastructure projects. 

What is the City of Hoboken doing to upgrade water main infrastructure?

New contract with SUEZ: In May of 2019, the City of Hoboken and SUEZ entered into a new water service contract investing at least $33 million in water infrastructure upgrades through 2034. The amended agreement established a new public water utility on July 1, 2019. It includes an average of $2.2 million in water investments per year, over six times the amount of the former contract. Additionally, the contract calls for $2 million in smart technology to monitor water consumption, which will save Hoboken ratepayers from paying for costly leaks.

Water main replacement project: The City began the first phase of its water main replacement project in 2019. Over 9,900 linear feet, or 1.86 miles of water mains have already been replaced as of the end of 2021. The second phase of replacing over 5,000 linear feet of water mains is scheduled to begin later this year. 

Comprehensive analysis of water main system: With support from professional engineering consultants, the City developed a comprehensive water system renewal program to make continued investments in Hoboken’s drinking water infrastructure. The program includes 67 discrete locations for water main replacement to upgrade an additional 20% of the system. This analysis has been and will continue to be used to guide the primary locations of the current and upcoming water main replacement projects.

Washington Street redesign: As part of the Washington Street redesign, the City upgraded more than 1.25 miles of water mains and service lines on Washington Street. The project was financed by a $7 million low-interest loan from the NJ Infrastructure Bank.

Why do we have so many water main breaks?

‍Some parts of Hoboken’s water system are more than 100 years old. The majority of the system is nearing the end of its useful life. As cast-iron pipes age, they become brittle and are more prone to break from changes in temperature, pressure fluctuations, or vibrations.

Why are the pipes so old?

Beginning in 1994, the City of Hoboken sold the rights to the water system until 2024 (previous to the new SUEZ agreement in 2019). A 30-year revenue stream of approximately $240 million was sold to United Water (now SUEZ) in exchange for $13.2 million dollars in one-time payments. That former agreement required Suez to make almost no proactive investment in Hoboken’s water infrastructure. In the past two plus decades, only $350,000 per year was invested in the system, and as a result, only 5% of the system was upgraded.

Instructions:

Please avoid southwest Hoboken as water main isolation and repairs continue. No boil water advisory has been issued at this time.