End Is Seen For Boil Water Alert South Of Route 518

The end of a temporary boil water alert for nearly 60 properties in the Route 27 area, south of Route 518, could be just weeks away, a state spokesman said on Aug. 28

The 58 properties have been on the boil water alert since July, when issues with the state Department of Transportation’s 10 Mile Run bridge replacement construction cropped up.

In addition to issuing the boil water alert, the township has delivered three rounds of bottled water to the affected properties, at a cost of about $750, said Carl Hauck, the township’s public works manager.

Hauck said the problem was caused by the fact that a 1960s-era water main was located under the pavement that was in the bridge replacement construction area.

That meant that that water line had to be moved, which it was in October, 2018. But, Hauck said, the state’s contractor was not able to connect the the relocated section of the main to the township’s main water line because of the weather.

The state contractor was finally able to make the connection in July, Hauck said, when construction on the project resumed. In the meantime, the township had completed a re-lining project for that section of water main, which required temporary above-ground connections on either end of the bridge.

Those tie-ins would be exposed to the warm summer temperatures, Hauck said, so the boil water alert was issued “as a precaution.”

In teh following weeks, the state contractor was able to eliminate bacteria problems in the water, but has not yet been able to produce water pressure sufficient to serve the properties in that area, Hauck said.

“The pressure testing was started, however encountered some difficulties,” he wrote in an email. “There is a section of the overall length of the relocated main that still has not passed a pressure test, resulting in the need to keep the Boil Water advisory.”

DOT spokesman Stephen Schapiro said in an email that “NJDOT is working with the township to resolve the water pressure issue on the relocated water main and conducting the required pressure testing. We anticipate the new water main will be in service in the coming weeks.”

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