Water main break in Cranford impacts Thanksgiving preparations

A 70-year-old cast iron pipe is to blame for Cranford becoming the latest New Jersey town to be hit with a Thanksgiving-risking water main break.

New Jersey American Water spokesman Peter A. Eschbach told New Jersey 101.5 that the break occurred around 5 a.m. Thursday morning at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Denman Road in front of Sherman Park in a 16-inch pipe installed in the 1930s.

Crews isolated the pipe and shut the water down, affecting 70 customers.  Two customers had water in their basement because of the overflow that came across the park according to Eschbach.

The pipe with the break will be excavated and repaired in what will likely be an all-day job, he said.

"We're going to work as quickly and safely as we can to get this taken care of. We recognize that it's never a good time to be without your water service especially on a day like today," said Eschbach. Water in gallon jugs has been made available to affected residents from a flatbed truck parked in the neighborhood.

Cast iron is a thick material, said Eschbach, but is prone to changes in ground temperature especially at its age.

"As the ground gets colder  you'll see a shift in the ground which applies pressure to the main and If you have a small crack in there it can blow," he said. Much of New Jersey had its coldest temperatures of the season this week after a mild fall.

Cranford Police said the e intersection is also closed according to police.

Water was restored on Tuesday to Hoboken on Tuesday following two water main breaks. Neighboring Weehawken is supplying water to Hoboken as repairs are made.