On February 17th, a water main broke on 18th Street + Jersey Avenue on the Hoboken/Jersey City border. Crews have been at the scene trying to restore water pressure since around 4PM on Monday.

Early in the morning on February 18th, the City of Hoboken experienced low water pressure – with some areas having no water pressure — due to the main break. 

#Hoboken: Crews are working to restore water pressure to Hoboken following emergency repairs to a 36" main. We will continue to provide updates on social media as work progresses.@CityofHoboken @HobokenOEM pic.twitter.com/mnTNn8aQWE

— Veolia Water NJ (@VeoliaWaterNJ) February 18, 2025

Water was restored for most of the City early in the afternoon on Tuesday, but Veolia, the operator of Hoboken’s water system, has implemented a precautionary water boil advisory, which remains in effect. Residents and businesses should boil their water for at least one minute for: washing dishes, drinking, cooking, baking, making ice cubes, taking medication, brushing teeth, washing food, mixing baby formula, mixing juices, feeding pets, and all other consumption. Water does not need to be boiled for showering or washing clothes. You can see more about the boil advisory here.

Hoboken's public schools were delayed 90 minutes on Tuesday and businesses around town temporarily shut down while waiting for water service to return.

On February 19th, the City of Hoboken shared "While Veolia has successfully switched Hoboken's water feed to a secondary source, and isolated the break, residents may experience low-to-no water pressure during peak periods this morning due to demand." See the full post here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by City of Hoboken (@hobokennj)

The City of Hoboken released a Nixle alert just before 5:30PM saying the water main has been repaired, but the boil water advisory is still in effect for Hoboken:

The boil water advisory went on to last for four days. It was officially lifted around 8:30AM on Friday, February 21st, via a Nixle alert from the City. The alert read:

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has lifted the boil water advisory in Hoboken. Water quality samples were taken on Thursday, Feb. 20, and tested shortly afterwards following the repair of the 36-inch water main break in Jersey City near the intersection of Jersey Avenue and 18th Street. The results of the tests were analyzed by a certified laboratory and confirmed by NJDEP that the water meets all safe drinking water standards. 
 
It is no longer necessary for residents to boil their water.  
 
Residents and businesses are encouraged to follow the below measures:  

• Run your water faucets for 3-5 minutes to flush your service connection and interior plumbing with water from the service main.
• Empty and clean your automatic ice makers and water chillers. 
• Drain and refill your hot water heater if the temperature is set below 113 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Service connections with a water softener/cartridge filters should be run through a regeneration cycle or other procedures recommended by the manufacturer. 
• Water reservoirs in tall buildings should be drained and refilled (as applicable). 

Veolia will continue to remain fully staffed in the event of future water main breaks due to potential pressure fluctuations. Veolia will continue to flush fire hydrants to stabilize pressure within the water system as an added precaution. If you see water coming out of hydrants, be assured, this is intentional. 

Read the full alert here. 

For updates on repairs and water-related issues, residents can email [email protected], or follow Veolia Water on Facebook or X. Residents should also sign up for Nixle alerts from the City, which you can sign up for here. 

This is a developing story — this post will be updated with any further details. Be sure to follow @thehobokengirl on Instagram + TikTok for the latest updates.