Water Main Flushing May Cause Discoloration Or Low Pressure

CLIFTON, N.J., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Passaic Valley Water Commission (PVWC) has begun flushing water mains in Clifton, Passaic, Paterson, Prospect Park and Woodland Park. The flushing is needed because, earlier this month, remnants of Hurricane Ida caused torrential rainfall to overflow the banks and contaminate the New Street Reservoir.

The 52-million-gallon reservoir has been inoperable as efforts continue to restore it to the high-quality water standards that existed prior to the hurricane. The clean-up of the reservoir has now reached a point where it is now necessary to flush the estimated 550 miles of pipes and 4,000 hydrants in preparation of restoring service.

The flushing process will run 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, but could still take 10 to 14 days to complete. PVWC is adding extra crews to try to finish the flushing more quickly.

PVWC warns that customers may experience unavoidable discoloration or low pressure during the flushing process. Customers that see water discoloration should open the cold-water faucet and allow the water to run for a minute or two until it clears. Avoid washing clothes with discolored water as some staining may occur. Do not open the hot-water faucets until your water runs clear.

PVWC thanks its customers for their patience and understanding during this situation and remains committed to replacing the open finished water reservoirs with enclosed water storage tanks to prevent this from happening again.

In the meantime, consumers are urged to visit www.PVWC.com for additional information and to sign-up for emergency notifications via voice, text and/or email.

PVWC is New Jersey's largest public drinking water provider serving over 800,000 consumers in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris and Passaic counties. 

For more information about this release please contact Lendel Jones at 609-332-4821 or [email protected] 

SOURCE Passaic Valley Water Commission

Related Links

www.pvwc.com