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Bayonne Mayor and Port Authority Work Expeditiously to Repair Damaged Sewer Main on 5th Street

Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith talk with PSE&G representatives at site of broken watermain pipe on 5th street in Bayonne
Mayor Smith on the scene of the sewer main break at 5th Street
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Mayor Mark A. Smith announced that contractors working on the Port Authority’s “Raise the Bridge Project” damaged a sewer main on West 5th Street, west of Kennedy Boulevard last week. A Port Authority contractor cut into an active sewer line by accident, because the sewer line was designated as “abandoned” and not in service on their contract plans.

Heavy rains on Thursday evening caused some basements to flood with sewage, due to the inability of the severed sewer main to drain water from the area.

Mayor Mark Smith instructed the Bayonne Fire Department to respond and pump the affected basements. The Mayor also had the Bayonne Municipal Utilities Authority and their contractor, United Water, respond to investigate the cause of the damage and assist in helping people recover. Mayor Smith spoke with representatives of the Port Authority and they agreed that the affected residents would have their homes cleaned out and disinfected by an independent contractor, and the Port Authority would oversee the immediate repair of the broken sewer and remediating the impact to residents.

The Bayonne MUA and United Water arranged for bypass pumping to restore service to the affected homes.  Employees of both entities remained on site while the system was being bypassed to assure that there was no interruption in residential service. The Port Authority’s contractor is expected to make repairs early this week. Acting in response to Mayor Mark Smith, the Port Authority’s plumbing contractor will be on site on Monday to snake out the service lines from the homes to the street, and a dumpster will be delivered for residents to use.   The Port Authority has responded quickly to oversee immediate repairs and will remain on site until the situation is remediated for all impacted residents.

Mayor Smith has obtained the Port Authority’s assurance that all affected residents will have their situation addressed expeditiously and at no cost to those residents.      Anyone with questions about this situation may contact the Port Authority at 855-265-5482.

 

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