UNDER THE STREET

A day (and a few holes) with the crew bringing cleaner water to South Orange

By Adrianna Donat

The lead service line replacement that took place in Maplewood last year has started in South Orange.

We’ve probably all experienced the same moment of neighborhood déjà vu: you turn the corner and (surprise!) there’s a line of orange cones, a truck with flashing lights and a fresh street is auditioning for Holes: The Musical.

Beyond the driving hazard, it can make you wonder what exactly is going on. This isn’t a distant highway project. It’s outside your front door. Because the work involves something as personal as the water we drink, cook with and bathe in, it’s natural to want the details: why it’s happening, what to expect, how long it takes and what you’re supposed to do afterward.

Michael Oliveira is the project manager for Montana Construction, the contractor responsible for the lead service line replacement

To get the real answers, you have to talk to the people who do the work. Erik Wahl is superintendent at Montana Construction, Inc., one of the contractors working with New Jersey American Water on lead service line replacement in South Orange. Ask Wahl what keeps the operation running and he doesn’t mention a wrench.

“My cell phone,” he says. “Communication is the backbone … Our team only works as efficiently as it does because we have great and open lines of communication from top to bottom.”

There’s a lot for Wahl to communicate right now. As of October 7, New Jersey American Water became the official water service provider to South Orange Village customers. Voters approved the arrangement in a November 2024 referendum. The company has said it plans to invest $50 million in infrastructure improvements across the system within the first 10 years. Its goal is to identify and replace all utility-owned and customer-owned lead and galvanized steel service lines as part of its statewide program by 2031.

To confirm what’s in the ground, New Jersey American Water has said it will largely use “test pitting,” meaning a small test hole near a meter or curb stop when the material can’t be confirmed inside the home.

The big picture. The resident questions are more immediate: why are there two holes, what are they installing, how long will the water be off, who fixes the sidewalk and, yes, how long do I use the Brita filter?

Wahl explains the service connects to the water main through a valve called a “corporation.” From there, the utility-owned portion runs from the main to a curbside valve called the “curbstop” (or curb valve), accessible from the surface via a curb box. Everything from the curbstop into the home is owned by the property owner, so the curb is the handoff point between the public system and private service.

In South Orange, the most common materials they find are lead, galvanized steel (a zinc-coated steel pipe) and copper

In South Orange, Wahl says the most common materials they find are lead, galvanized steel (a zinc-coated steel pipe) and copper. They’ve even found wooden water mains in really old systems, but that’s very unusual. Lead often has a dull nickel-like color and may show a bulge near the shutoff. Galvanized is easy: a magnet sticks to it. Copper is copper, sometimes oxidized into that Statue of Liberty green.

New Jersey American Water is installing copper on the utility side and customer side in South Orange. “This is the best choice because it is lead-free and very reliable,” Wahl says.

Here’s the agenda in Wahl’s words: “First we arrive on site and make the area safe. Then we review all of the utility markings. We then contact the homeowners … to advise that work is about to begin.”

Next comes verification. They dig at the curb line to confirm the material of the pipe and make sure replacement is needed. “Once it is verified that a lead or galvanized service is active,” Wahl says, “we will begin digging in the street if needed.”

Then the pneumatic mole is deployed, a new line is run, the crew reconnects to the home’s internal plumbing and they flush the line before restoring service.

On average, Wahl says, one home’s service line replacement takes about two hours. But “unforeseen ground conditions and utility conflicts” can slow things down. And winter weather can make everything harder.

Wahl’s day begins when the phone starts ringing, usually around 5:30 a.m. A good day is when everything flows properly and there are no conflicts. A rough day is when one problem triggers a chain reaction and the crew is out late.

And then there are the surprises that remind you this is real life.

“One of our crews was working on a property in the neighborhood and as one of the laborers was setting up to run the inside plumbing materials, he found a turkey hanging out in the basement,” Wahl says. “We got a pretty good laugh out of that.”

Residents also want to know how they’ll be notified. Wahl says New Jersey American Water sends notifications to customers before construction begins. After that, Montana Construction hands out notices as crews approach each street.

But there isn’t a street-by-street schedule for residents to check. Wahl says they don’t publish one to residents because the plan changes often. Instead, they send a two-week look-ahead weekly report to the town, New Jersey American Water and other parties, plus a daily schedule for the following day’s work.

Montana Construction also handles restoring the street and sidewalk area after the replacement is complete. Typically, restoration begins within 90 days, weather permitting. Winter temperatures can delay it.

Homeowners can help avoid accidental damage by identifying private underground systems such as sprinklers or invisible dog fences. If something is damaged, Montana works to fix and replace parts as quickly as possible.

After pipe replacements, homeowners receive flushing instructions and are offered Brita filters. During flushing, residents may notice temporary discoloration, sediment or air in the line. After the process is complete, Wahl says there should be no issues. Occasionally, fixture aerator screens can clog and reduce pressure. If that happens, residents can reach out and the crew can address it the same day.

Construction is disruptive. But the goal is long term: safer materials, lead-free service lines and a system that can reliably support South Orange for decades. “People often view construction sites as an inconvenience, which we understand,” Wahl says. “Our work is … an effort to improve the community long term.”

And your street will look normal again soon. So the next time you see cones and a fresh excavation, you can say with confidence: they’re not just digging holes. They’re connecting the dots between an older system under our feet and a safer, cleaner one built to last.

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Adrianna Donat is a writer and local realtor with Pollock Properties Group – digging up the details

(sometimes literally) about living in South Orange and Maplewood.