Hoboken Begins Substantial Water Main Replacement, Repaving Roads While They’re At It

(ABOVE: Water main break on Garden Street, 2016)

Hoboken has begun an ambitious project to replace its water infrastructure over the next few months, following the City’s decision to enter into a new contract with SUEZ Water.

Important step forward today for Hob w/ construction beginning on replacement of 7,000+ feet of water mains. Over the next two years, we’ll be replacing 2.5+ miles of Hoboken’s oldest water mains. Along w/ our contract w/ SUEZ, we’ll replace 18% of all Hob water mains by 2034 pic.twitter.com/0qFqUqRymu

— Ravinder S. Bhalla (@RaviBhalla) September 16, 2019

Durng this initial phase, 15 blocks—equaling over 7,000 linear feet of water mains—will be replaced. These are some of the most antiquated lines in the current system—a system that seen catastrophic failures over the past few years and brought Hoboken and SUEZ to the brink of legal action before settling on the new arrangement.

“My administration is committed to upgrading Hoboken’s infrastructure, and that starts with our aging water main system,” said Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla. “These water main replacements are the start of our ambitious goal to independently replace over 14,000 feet, or 2.7 miles of our water main system over the next two years. This investment, along with the $33 million provided through the SUEZ contract, will replace 18% of our entire water system by 2034.”

Just how old are these pipes??? Some of Hoboken’s existing water infrastructure dates back to the Grover Cleveland administration…

Indeed! @PeterGleick Check out the date on this water pipe fixture from Hoboken: timestamp 1897! @UnitedWaterNJ pic.twitter.com/1BhQErel9S

— SUEZ North America (@SUEZ_NA) August 16, 2013

The work is scheduled to take place over the autumn, winter (?!?) and spring months, concluding in Spring of 2020.

Here is the … ahem… “tentative” work schedule for this initial phase:

• 1st Segment: Monroe St – 8th St to 11th St (Fall 2019)
• 2nd Segment: Garden St – Observer Hwy to 2nd St (Fall 2019)
• 3rd Segment: Bloomfield St – 2nd St to 4th St (Fall 2019/Winter 2020)
• 4th Segment: Garden St – 3rd St to 5th St (Winter 2020)
• 5th Segment: Jefferson St – 8th St to 9th St (Winter 2020)
• 6th Segment: Jefferson St – 10th St to 11th St (Winter 2020)
• 7th Segment: Monroe St – 3rd St to 4th St (Winter/Spring 2020)
• 8th Segment: Garden St – 12th St to 14th St (Spring 2020)

With the water main work requiring the roads be dug up, the City of Hoboken has announced that it will upgrade those roads as their replaced, in line with the City’s “Vision Zero” initiative for enhanced pedestrian safety and ongoing flood mitigation efforts..

“As a part of the project, we’re also including pedestrian safety upgrades, as well as reducing rainfall flooding with green infrastructure,” said Bhalla. “Together, these upgrades address major quality of life issues for the residents of Hoboken.”

CLICK HERE for more information on details, timeline and traffic impacts.

***