SOMERVILLE – New Jersey American Water has begun replacing four sections of the 36-inch water main on Route 206 north of Bridge Street to prevent further failure of the main as it nears the end of its life.
The water main, which serves much of the company’s central region including Somerville, Raritan and Bridgewater, had breaks in June 2023 and on Oct. 30.
During the repair of the latest break, an inspection confirmed that several portions of the main line needed to be replaced before an extensive renovation was planned for early 2025, the utility said.
The work, which will be carried out 24 hours a day, is expected to be completed by December 18.
The water main had breaks in June 2023 and on October 30.
Customers in Bridgewater, Raritan and Somerville will continue to use water service during construction, but some areas may experience periods of low pressure or discoloration. If discoloration occurs, customers should only run the cold water taps on the lowest level of the home for three to five minutes, the company said in a news release.
Route 206 is expected to remain open while contractor J. Fletcher Creamer & Son works. However, there are likely to be traffic restrictions or varying traffic patterns during working hours. During construction, all emergency vehicles and local traffic have access.
“After the main rupture in 2023, we determined that this 36-inch transmission line is vulnerable to similar failures. That’s why we’ve taken proactive measures to mitigate the impact of a new rupture by strengthening the local distribution system. We have also designed a long-term solution to begin construction in early 2025,” said Carmen Tierno, Senior Director of Central Operations, New Jersey American Water. “Although our mitigation efforts have helped reduce the impact of the recent rupture, further inspection of the pipe during the repair revealed that new sections of pipe now needed to be installed to address another problem during the holidays. help prevent.”
The company’s long-term solution includes the installation of a new 30-inch reinforcement line in the first quarter of 2025. Once complete, the company says it will tackle the full rehabilitation of the 36-inch transmission line.
Email: mdeak@MyCentralJersey.com
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Route 206 water main in Somerville NJ to be replaced
