Boro hopes contract will eliminate brown water

By tara petersen
Staff Writer

By tara petersen
Staff Writer

MILLTOWN — The borough is one step closer to clearing up a long-standing problem for many residents: brown water.

The Borough Council awarded a bid to CRJ Contracting at its July 28 meeting for work on underground water lines. Officials said connecting dead-end pipes to existing continuous lines will resolve water discoloration issues by keeping water flowing.

Over the last few years, residents have periodically complained that their tap water has been brown. Borough officials have held meetings with residents and enlisted the help of experts since they were made aware of the problem.

"We tracked all the complaints and mapped it out," Borough Business Administrator Richard Rydstrom said. "The water color issue is a result of water lines that dead-end rather than allowing continuous flow."

Rydstrom said water sits unmoving and sediment is allowed to build up in the pipes until a tap is turned on. The water lines are extremely old, he said.

Officials said the water has been tested by both the borough and the county and has been found to have no contamination.

"Some of the water that was brought to my office, no one would drink. We test the water regularly, and the water is safe — safe, but not acceptable," Mayor Gloria Bradford said.

"People are entitled to clean, clear wa­ter," she added.

Residents have said they rely on bottled water for drinking, cooking and sometimes even bathing.

"The problem is sporadic," Bradford said, adding that some residents are more affected than others .

The process has taken a while, in part because the borough had to acquire ease­ments from several property owners before work could begin, officials said.

Rydstrom said the contractor, whose bid came in at just over $98,000, will in­form the borough when the work can be­gin.

He said the construction would take place in two phases.

The first phase is going to address prob­lems on West Foch Avenue and Yarnell Avenue. Work on East Ackerman Avenue will closely follow phase one because an easement from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority was required, causing a slight delay, Rydstrom noted.

Phase two will take place sometime in the spring and will include East Foch Av­enue, Highland Drive and Garden Place to Riva Avenue, he said.

Rydstrom said about a dozen properties will be affected during the first phase con­struction of the water line loop.

Bradford said she is pleased that a solu­tion is near and that the residents have been so understanding.

"The residents have been very coopera­tive and patient," the mayor said.