Thousands dealing with issues following capping of broken Nutley, N.J. water main
NUTLEY, N.J. -- A state of emergency is in place in at least two northern New Jersey towns.
This after a massive water main break that has been creating problems since last week, CBS2's Lisa Rozner reported.
By Sunday night, finally, the leak in the affected pipe on Bloomfield Avenue in Nutley was sealed. On Wednesday, the nearly 6-foot water main broke, sending water gushing out like a river and flooding some homes nearby.
Even though there has been progress, it is still impacting towns which rely on the North Jersey District water supply. Starting Saturday, Montclair and Glen Ridge issued a state of emergency, prohibiting the essential use of water, which is still in effect.
"I got a message from our crews that, listen, our water level was dropping to a point that was critical. We were going to lose water in Montclair," Mayor Sean Spiller said. "Don't water your lawns. That shouldn't be happening. Don't go out, wash your cars. Don't put water out at your business unless someone asks for it."
READ MORE: Nutley water main break causing major headaches for homeowners
Montclair's mayor told Rozner some coffee shops have cut back on water usage and some restaurants are not putting out water for tables unless customers ask.
On Sunday, crews in Montclair were busy trying to connect to the water supply of other towns like Verona, Cedar Grove, and East Orange.
"We've connected to their lines to say lets get X amount of water. Some are able to provide 1,500 gallons per minute, some 800 gallons per minute, some 350 gallons per minute," Spiller said.
He said that's still barely enough to keep the town going.
Bloomfield Township is also under a boil water advisory.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the North Jersey District Water Commission said, in part, that the agency is working toward restoring full water supply.
"The process includes testing of the lines and extensive monitoring and treatment of the water supply. Restoration should take between 24 and 48 hours," the spokesperson said.