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Nov 18, 2008 7:57 pm US/Eastern
Major Water Main Break Affects Several NJ Counties
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) ―
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A break in a 60-inch water main in Franklin Township, N.J. made for headaches in numerous counties.
CBS
Four New Jersey counties remained troubled by water problems Tuesday evening after a 60-inch water main broke earlier in the day in Franklin Township. Crews have had issues bringing the break under control as part of the roadway where it happened collapsed.
The break occurred on Weston Canal Road just after 11 a.m., with water geysering into the adjacent canal and forcing the New Jersey American Water to issue a boil water advisory.
The powerful rupture caused major problems across Middlesex, Union, Somerset, and Hunterdon counties, leaving residents and businesses with no water or low pressure.
Somerset County resident Diana Carter has some water back, but rushed to get bottled water when the alert was issued. She said it wasn't easy.
"We went to 'Stop and Shop' and they were sold out and then we went to our local dollar store and I said no one's going to think to go there, and they had a shelf full," she told CBS 2.
In Piscataway and most other districts affected by the break, schools were let out early. Parents got the new through the reverse 911 system or their children.
"They said due to the water we're going to be getting out at 1:15," said Piscataway student Austin Freeman.
Piscataway Office of Emergency Management officials immediately met at headquarters to come up with a strategy.
"In the schools, we have sprinkler systems with no water, that's why we had to get early dismissal, to get children out of schools," said Piscataway Police Capt. Rick Ivone.
Crews have been trying to fix the break, but officials from New Jersey American Water still don't have a cause.
"They have one more valve to isolate. Once they do that, the pressure will slowly start to recover, but those communities will be under a boil advisory," said Maureen Duffy of NJAW.
Weston Canal Road remains closed between Apgar Road and Schoolhouse lane, and several towns still remain under the boil advisory. The advisory warns residents to boil water for three to five minutes before drinking it.
Stay with wcbstv.com and CBS 2 HD News for more on this developing story.
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