Crews Repairing Water Main Break on Cedar Hill

Ridgewood Water crews are busy repairing  a water main break with the goal of finishing the job before the afternoon traffic rush.

"It's potentially a footrace for personnel to get it buttoned up" before school lets out, said William Mowell, the utility's chief engineer.

Police Chief Benjamin Fox said the department was notified by a motorist of a main break on Cedar Hill Avenue, at James Way, just before the Route 208 interchange, at almost 5 a.m. this morning.

"There was a fairly significant crack in an 8-inch pipe," said Mowell, who noted that the break occurred just off the utility's facility on Cedar Hill Avenue.

"It had the capability to discharge a significant volume of water," he said.

As of 10:30 a.m., Ridgewood Water crews were busy repairing the crack, and while water was still flowing, the discharge was largely contained to the area between James Way and Calvin Court, home to Eisenhower Middle School.

Parents received a Reverse 911 call this morning notifying them of the break, which necessitated the partial closure of Cedar Hill Avenue. However, Eisenhower was able to open for regular instruction.

Acting Superintendent Richard Kuder and acting Principal Steve Raimo were not immediately available for comment, but the main office reported no problems with water pressure or service.

But, the mishap did snarl morning traffic.

"It was a mess this morning," Fox said. "There was a lot of congestion with school traffic... and a significant backup on Russell Avenue," prompting the chief to dispatch officers to help direct traffic.

Mowell said that "when it (main break) occurs on a major road, it causes a lot more disruption. Had it occurred a few streets down Cedar Hill, Mowell said the impact to motorists would be negligible.

Currently, motorists traveling west on Cedar Hill or those coming from Wyckoff Avenue cannot access the roadway, although motorists coming from the Sicomac section of the township can travel down the thoroughfare, back to Wyckoff Avenue.

"The detours need to be fairly significant to accommodate a safe working environment," Mowell said.

The engineer, whose utility serves Wyckoff, Ridgewood, Midland Park and Glen Rock, said any break of this type would necessarily reduce water pressure for the homeowners in the vicinity of the break. However, the impact should be "fairly limited" except for those located immediately near the break, who could see a "drastic reduction" in water pressure.

"When water is drawn out of the water system, it reduces pressure," Mowell said.

It will be a "significant challenge" to repair the system before the afternoon rush, although the repairs themselves "shouldn't be too difficult."

Anyone with questions or problems can call Ridgewood Water at 201-670-5524.