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Crews Work To Repair Water Main Breaks In Jersey City

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Crews in Jersey City are continuing to make repairs to a water main that burst overnight.

A six-inch main burst at the intersection of Marin Boulevard and Grand Street, causing ponding in the street and traffic back-ups during the morning commute Thursday. Vehicles also had to be towed so that workers could get access to the break, CBS2's Janelle Burrell reported.

Some residents said water main breaks are happening too frequently and are becoming are regular inconvenience.

Jersey City resident Tammy Petrosyan said Thursday's break left her without water as she tried to get her children ready for school.

"We couldn't brush our teeth, shower, make coffee," she said. "It's becoming like a monthly thing and it is really disruptive."

Last month, a break at Essex and Washington streets disrupted light rail service for hours.

Burrell asked a SUEZ Water spokesperson what's causing the breaks?

"Unfortunately when you have the age of the infrastructure, and a lot of wear and tear on the streets because the pipes are underground, we have the fluctuation in the weather, there are a lot of factors," SUEZ Water spokesperson Treva Spencer said.

As for long-term plans to fix this aging infrastructure, Spencer said, "That's a discussion that goes between SUEZ and the customer, which is the city."

CBS2 is also awaiting comment from Jersey City.

SUEZ Water crews said  they are doing all they can to make sure residents have some water available until repairs are complete. About 60 homes may have low water pressure.

It is unclear how long repairs will take. SUEZ Water said leaving the water on for residents as they make repairs will lengthen the process.

Also Thursday, less than a mile away on Marin Boulevard and closer to the Holland Tunnel, there was a second, smaller water main break near the Jersey City fire station. It did not disrupt traffic.

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