Officials look to bring in tank as temporary
solution for eight homes
OLD BRIDGE — Saying they cannot use showers or toilets or even wash clothes, and claiming financial hardship over the cost of replacing their now-dry water wells, a group of residents living in the southeastern section of Texas and Englishtown roads said their pleas for a permanent water source have fallen on deaf ears.
Arlene Curry, a resident of Pleasant Valley Road for 28 years, spoke for eight homeowners — whose properties are located on the south side of Texas Road, east of Englishtown Road — at Monday night’s Township Council meeting. Curry told the council that the homes, which have individual wells in lieu of connections to the municipal water system, have been without water for about a month, presumably due to possible rerouting of stream flows from the neighboring Barclay Brook to the newly constructed Woodhaven development located south of the brook along John Wall Road.
"The wells are gone. These people are looking at $6,000 each to put in new wells," Curry said, reminding the council that she had warned them "years ago" that this could be a consequence of development in the western part of the township.
Hearing Curry’s concerns, Alayne Shepler, township business administrator, advised the residents to contact the Old Bridge Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) about getting hooked into the township water lines. She also advised the residents to talk to the South Old Bridge Volunteer Fire Company and the Board of Health to see if the wells could be refilled using fire truck hoses.
However, Texas Road resident Michelle Butth told the council that she had already contacted the MUA, without success.
"I’ve called the MUA, the Board of Health, everyone. They just pass the buck and tell me to call someone else," Butth said. "Now I’m going to Sayreville to get water."
Another resident, Catherine Miller, told the council that Barclay Brook is now dry, while the retention pond behind the Woodhaven development is filled to capacity.
"They (the developer) did something to the creek," Miller said.
Ward 6 Councilman Gerald Cucchiara suggested that Shepler contact the National Guard to bring a 500-gallon potable water tank out to the residents as a temporary measure.
"Call the National Guard and get them to bring a tank out there on a municipal vehicle and put it in a centrally located place," Cucchiara said.
Mayor Barbara Cannon emphasized the need for the council to work with the MUA to ensure that the residents get connected to the water and sewer lines as soon as possible.
"The long-term solution is to get in touch with OBMUA and get these homes connected," Cannon said.
Ward 2 Councilman Roman Sohor pointed out that Miller’s comments about the possible rerouting of Barclay Brook should be addressed.
"We need to see what the developer did to the water flow," Sohor said.
"You have an emergency here," Curry told the council. "They (the developer) did something to that brook."
Ward 5 Councilman Richard Greene, whose constituency includes the eight residents, emphasized the urgency of their situation.
"We ought to get water out there on an emergency basis," he told the council.
Council President Dennis Maher agreed with Greene that water should be provided to the residents on a temporary, emergency basis, but said that the residents should ultimately be connected to the township’s water system. He asked Finance Director Himanshu Shah about the possibility of using municipal funds to provide a tanker truck to the eight residents as a temporary solution. Shah told Maher that money could be appropriated for that purpose and then added into the temporary budget appropriation for fiscal year 2002.
Councilman Larry Redmond asked if Shepler could follow up on Cucchiara’s idea to have the National Guard provide a tank to the residents. Cannon agreed that she would have Shepler look into the matter.
"You will have a tank trailer out there or a 300-foot hose to fill up everyone’s wells," Maher told the residents. He also advised them that, having now presented their concerns to the council, they should continue to pursue connection to the MUA lines.
"You’ll have a permanent solution on Oct. 8. Come back on Oct. 8," Maher advised.