HOPATCONG BOROUGH, N.J. (Sussex County) — A pump failure at the River Styx well on Sunday led to leaks, water outages, and low pressure across Hopatcong’s water system, prompting days of emergency repairs and response, borough officials said.
The outage began Sept. 14 around 8:30 a.m. when the pump at the River Styx well stopped functioning. By mid-morning, a contractor determined that a new pump was needed. As water storage tanks ran low, leak detection crews located two high-pressure leaks on Starboard Road and Portside Road, officials said.
Crews worked overnight into Monday, Sept. 15, to repair the leaks and replace the pump. Potable and non-potable water stations were set up at Fire House #3. By 12:15 p.m. Monday, the new pump was activated, restoring some service.
Throughout Tuesday, Sept. 16, water department staff flushed mains to purge air from the system and continued leak detection surveys. That night, residents along Musconetcong Avenue reported low pressure, which workers confirmed.
On Wednesday, Sept. 17, new air valves were installed, and flushing continued to release air from the system. Borough officials said water levels were improving but acknowledged that work was ongoing to restore full service.
“We appreciate the patience and understanding of our residents as we make these necessary repairs,” Borough Administrator Shelby Snow said in a statement.
Officials said updates will be posted to the Borough of Hopatcong’s Facebook page and through Nixle alerts. Residents can sign up for Nixle by texting their ZIP code to 888777.
The borough is also evaluating long-term infrastructure improvements to prevent similar issues in the future.
