People, who were affected by a water main break that that led to reduced service to nearly 200,000 homes and businesses, pick up cases of bottled water at John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson, N.J., on Aug. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

PATERSON, N.J. (AP) — Residents in a northern New Jersey city grew more frustrated Monday as they endured a fourth day with little or no water service following a water main break. Some were relying on portable showers and toilets to meet their basic needs.

But officials in Paterson — the state’s third-largest city — said some relief should arrive by Tuesday night.

The problems began Friday when a 30-inch, 140-year-old water main broke. Some residents have had no water service since and thousands are dealing with extremely low water pressure.

Nearly 200,000 customers remain under a boil water order issued by the Passaic Valley Water Commission. The advisory — which asks residents not to fill large jugs or containers, water lawns or open hydrants until at least Friday — affects Paterson and three other smaller, neighboring communities.

Portable showers and toilets were set up over the weekend at a high school in the city, and the water commission and city are providing free bottled water to residents, including deliveries to the homes of elderly people.

The inconvenience of the break left many residents frustrated and seeking their own solutions.

Vanessa Ramos, who was pushing a baby carriage filled with jugs of water up a street in Paterson on Monday morning, told NJ.com that she filled the jugs at her job, which has water and is about a mile away. However, she expressed reluctance to use the showers installed at the nearby high school.

“We have a lot of homeless and a lot of people who have substance abuse issues,” Ramos said.

Another resident, Vanessa Hopkins, was also angry about the situation.

“It’s horrible, trying to get washed and cooking. Everything. It’s just horrible,” she told WCBS-TV in New York.

Officials said crews were able to isolate the leak Monday night and that system pressure was beginning to rise, calling it a “major step forward in restoring normal water service." Still, repairs were ongoing and a boil water advisory remained in place, according to a news release.

During a news conference Monday afternoon, city and water commission officials said the repairs should be completed by Tuesday night, though the boil water advisory will likely remain in effect through at least Friday, because once the water pressure is restored officials will have to flush the system and test for bacteria.

“Now is not the time to point fingers. It is the time for all hands to be on deck,” Mayor Andre Sayegh said, urging the community to stay united and help each other as needed.

Paterson, with roughly 160,000 residents, is a very diverse city but also one of the poorest in the state. It has a large Hispanic population, and census data shows the majority of its residents are foreign-born.

News from © The Associated Press, 2025