EDISON, N.J. (WABC) – Investigators in New Jersey are still trying to determine what caused a massive water main burst in Edison that sent water shooting like a geyser directly at a home for hours on Monday.
About 24 hours after a broken water pipe sprayed water onto a duplex on Woodbrook Drive, contractors continued repairs and closed off part of the block.
“When I came out of the house, I thought there was a fire and the water was running over the roof of the house,” said resident Barbara McMahon. “As I walked along there was a hole in the floor and the water was shooting right at the top window.”
Eyewitness News reporter Crystal Cranmore was told that workers on site encountered a 30-inch water main break around 4 p.m. Monday.
Officials say the Middlesex Water Company operates the pipeline, but it was not its contractors who dug the main line.
Flags embedded in the ground indicate that gas and cable company contractors were active in the area.
“Some cable workers were digging the hole from one side of the road to the other,” said local resident Gobi Penugonda.
A woman who lives in the damaged home and was too overwhelmed to speak on camera said she was not home at the time the pipe burst.
A neighbor offered her temporary shelter after she was forced to evacuate.
Mayor Sam Joshi said the damaged transmission line is not serving residents, so customers’ water supply is not affected. Officials said there were no injuries and no residents were or are without water.
The residents breathed a sigh of relief that the effects were not too serious.
“It was an accident, so we have to accept it, and mistakes happen,” said Penugonda. “But fortunately, all departments reacted quickly and are taking good care of it.”
Eyewitness News was told Tuesday afternoon that the pipe work had been completed and crews were now working to restore water service once testing was completed.
“Repair work is ongoing and the road remains closed. Workers expect to fill the main this evening and begin flushing. We expect the road to reopen by noon tomorrow and the main to be back in service by noon Friday,” the Middlesex Water Company said in a statement.
Eyewitness News has attempted to call area cable and gas companies to locate the contractor responsible for the break, but has only received a response from Elizabethtown Gas.
In a statement they said:
“The Fire Department notified Elizabethtown Gas of the incident last night and asked Elizabethtown Gas to shut off gas to two homes for safety reasons. Elizabethtown Gas and our contractors did not have crews on site at Edison yesterday when the incident occurred. Our priority is always the safety of customers and the communities we serve.”
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