TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) --
A Trenton, New Jersey neighborhood was flooded by a broken water main on Saturday morning.
It happened around 12:30 a.m. when a 24-inch main broke along Garfield and Walnut avenues.
There's a four block radius that's affected.
Firefighters arrived and began knocking on residents' doors to let them know.
One resident told Action News there was about five feet of water in her basement.
Resident Martha Black said, "All of a sudden I heard this noise that said boom! And then I wondered what's going on."
"We have the problem isolated. Once we can get the water dissipated, we can have the contractors start repairing the water main," said Trenton Public Works Director Merkle Cherry.
Basements and cars were left flooded.
"My car was flooded. I was knee deep," said Kiersten Williams.
Some neighbors had to temporarily leave their homes.
Late Saturday afternoon, most of the water had receded. Crews were able to pull the broken main out of the ground.
They also had to fix a damaged sewer line, but managed to get the water back on.
City employees say residents will need to be patient while crews make the necessary repairs to the water main.
Crews are expected back on Sunday to finish up the work.
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THE AGING INFRASTRUCTURE
TRENTON — A water main rupture is having an effect on two Mercer County communities.
Michael Walker, spokesman for Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson, told New Jersey 101.5 the break is in a 24-inch water line that burst around 12:30 a.m. in the East Ward. It sent water into the streets in roughly a four-block area around Walnut between South Olden and Garfield avenues.
Walker said crews have to wait for the water to fully recede so they can have access to the break itself.
The pipe is a feeder line that carries water to Trenton Water Works customer in Hamilton.
“It’s a large water main made of galvanized metal and they’re quite old,” and they are vulnerable to changes in the temperature.
“One of our tanks in the Whitehorse-Mercerville area has been impacted. We are still trying to assess the impact that the break has had on water supply to parts of the Hamilton area,” Walker said, adding that some customers are only experiencing low water pressure and brown colored water.
He said officials are not requesting that residents boil water before use, but residents should do so anyway if they’re concerned.
Hamilton Police said they have received calls from Trenton Water Works customers about low pressure and some brown colored water.