SPOTSWOOD — Much needed relief is coming to the residents of Willard Clark Circle.
A rash of water main breaks had the borough scrambling to find what was causing the problem in the development, also consisting of DeStefano Avenue, Burgess Avenue, Eaton Avenue and Cedar Brook Lane. After digging up the ground, officials realized that shoddy work done in prior years was contributing to the current situation.
Councilwoman Marge Drozd said residents have suffered from flooding and water discoloration due to the water main breaks, not to mention the inconvenience of having their water shut down for hours at a time while work was performed on the mains.
However, officials have found the underground culprit. Drozd said that when the borough replaced a couple of fire hydrants, it found that at some point the borough had paved over the shut-off valves for the old hydrants.
“That resulted in the water leaking periodically,” she said.
The borough also found another unknown culprit, water main pipes that were far too small to accommodate the development. Drozd said the borough found one pipe that was only 1.25 inches wide, and another that was 2 inches. Both were far too small to feed water to the homes in the area.
“You do not have to wonder why these people have no water pressure,” she said.
Drozd, who lives in the area, said her neighbors would see their water pressure drop dramatically if they put a hose on while the shower was running. About five homes per street were affected.
Council President Curtis Stollen has told the Sentinel that the numerous water main breaks forced the town to move quickly on the Willard Clark Circle work.
Drozd said the recent discoveries mean the town has to rethink its relining and cleaning plans for the area. There would be no need to clean the pipes if they have to be replaced because of their size.
She is pleased that the borough is making progress on the situation.
“Hallelujah, it’s a wonderful thing,” she said last week, noting there were three water main breaks in the last month alone.
“I’m grateful we are doing this work before the freeze sets in,” Drozd said.
Residents have been dealing with the aggravation of discolored water, flooding and having repairmen on their lawns, she noted. However, no residents filed claims with the town asking to be reimbursed for damages.
Drozd was pleased the problem was diagnosed.
“It’s always a mystery when you dig under the street,” she said

