New Jersey American Water will replace over a mile of aging water main in Ocean City starting this month. The company will upgrade the aging 4- and 6-inch water lines that were installed as far back as the 1900s with new 8-inch ductile iron main along the following streets:

• 31st Street from Central Avenue to Asbury Avenue
• Central Avenue from 28th Street to 34th Street
• Fifth Street from West Avenue to Asbury Avenue
• Fourth Street from West Avenue to Asbury Avenue
• West Avenue from Third Street to Fifth Street and from Sixth Street to Ninth Street

The project also includes replacing fire hydrants and utility-owned service lines along the pipeline route. Additionally, New Jersey American Water will replace any customer-owned service line that has been identified as lead or galvanized as part of a statewide initiative to remove all lead and galvanized service lines by 2031.

This $3.8 million investment will continue to advance water service reliability and increase water flows for household consumption and fire protection in this community. This improvement is part of New Jersey American Water’s multimillion-dollar initiative to accelerate the renewal of water infrastructure that has reached the end of its useful life in more than 100 communities across the state.

New Jersey American Water’s local, qualified contractors, Pioneer Pipe Contractors, Inc. and Perna Finnigan, Inc. will begin work on or about January 29 and expect to be completed within approximately four months. Work hours will be from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Work outside of these hours is not expected unless required to maintain project schedule. Final street restorations will be completed in both spring and fall of 2024.

Project timelines are subject to change due to a variety of factors including weather and availability of supplies. New Jersey American Water encourages customers to sign up for alerts through their MyWater account and follow the company on Facebook and Twitter to receive project updates.

For the public’s and workers’ safety, traffic restrictions and/or alternating traffic patterns are likely to occur during work hours. All emergency vehicles and local traffic will be allowed access during construction. New Jersey American Water values the safety of its workers and advises drivers and pedestrians to take caution in the vicinity of work sites.