Water main break causes closure of seven schools
Area residents had low or no water pressure early Monday morning
BY TOM CAIAZZA
Staff Writer

EDISON - A water main break early Monday morning on Brunswick Avenue in southern Edison left area residents and businesses without water and closed seven Edison district schools.

According to Edison police spokesperson Sgt. Robert Dudash, a water main burst around 2 a.m. on Brunswick Avenue near Plainfield Avenue, causing the pipe to break through to the surface. The break caused a good portion of Brunswick Avenue to be closed for several hours.

"A good portion of south Edison had no water pressure or low water pressure," Dudash said.

By midmorning, water had been restored to full capacity.

That was too late for the schools, however.

Schools Superintendent Carol Toth said that word had gotten to her in the morning that a break in a water main had occurred and the affected schools would have to remain closed.

By that point, she said, buses had already begun to go out for their runs for the high school, and they had to be called back, some of them dropping students back off at their bus stops.

While water had been restored, the decision had already been made to cancel school for those affected buildings, and that order could not be rescinded and implemented in enough time to warrant bringing the students back for a full day of school, Toth said.

The schools that were affected are: Edison High School, Thomas Jefferson School, Washington School, Lincoln School, Benjamin Franklin School, Lindeneau School and John Marshall School.

According to Toth, those schools may have to be charged an added emergency closing day, which would give students one less day off around Memorial Day.

However, Washington School, which had an added closure in February because of an electrical problem, may have to have an additional day added to the calendar.

Toth said she would be in contact with the Middlesex County schools superintendent and would make a recommendation to the Board of Education at Thursday's reorganization meeting.

No damage was found at any of the schools.