Oct 14, 2008 1:41 pm US/Eastern
Water Main Break In Jersey City's Newport Area
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CBS) ―
Some Jersey City residents are advised to boil their water because of a water main break.
The advisory includes homes and businesses in the Newport section from 18th Street and Washington Boulevard south to Morris Street.
The 30-inch main broke shortly before 4:30 a.m. Tuesday in one of Jersey City's busiest districts, leaving thousands of people without water.
"We couldn't have a shower, brush your teeth in the morning [before] going to work, so it's a bit tough," said resident Sam Karouni.
City officials estimate 30,000 to 40,000 people are affected. The local Target store along with several other stores and the Newport Center Mall have been shut down and residents who have water are being told to boil it.
"One of the important things to remind residents is that if they have water to boil it for one full minute before they use for any consumption purposes," said Deb Rizzi of United Water.
Added Office of Emergency Management Director Sgt. Greg Kierce: "We are making every attempt to get the water supply back as quickly as possible to get these businesses back in operation."
City officials say they're sending health inspectors to businesses that are open and want to assure residents they are prepared for any kind of emergency.
"To the residents in this area, we also have backup water tanker trucks to supply any water to put out any fires. Also the capability to hook up into the Hudson River [where] we have a fire boat," said Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy.
Repairs are expected to take most of the day.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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