Bayonne’s Aging Water Pipe Under the Hackensack Is Getting a $32M Fix

Frank Ricci, a lifelong Bayonne resident, remembers the summer of 2016 when the city asked everyone to boil their water for three days after a main break left pressure dangerously low. He filled every pot and pitcher he owned, and he’s never quite forgotten the anxiety of wondering if the water running from his tap was safe for his kids. That’s the kind of worry the city is trying to prevent with its latest infrastructure move.

At a special meeting Wednesday night, the Bayonne City Council voted 5-0 to approve three easement agreements that clear the way for a massive, $32 million project to replace a 49-year-old section of the city’s main water aqueduct that runs beneath the Hackensack River. The pipe is old, has a history of leaks, and—because it sits under the river—any major break could be nearly impossible to find quickly.

“If there is a significant leak in the pipeline under the Hackensack, it will naturally be very difficult to detect that leak, if not impossible,” said Eric Tomaszewski, the special counsel handling the aqueduct project, addressing the council at the request of Council President Melissa Godesky-Rodriguez. “From an operational necessity perspective, it’s critical that this project move forward.”

The project involves a mix of horizontal directional drilling—where crews bore deep under the riverbed to install new pipe—and lining the existing line with new PVC segments. To do that, the city needs space on both sides of the river to stage equipment and lay out thousands of feet of pipe.

That’s where the easements come in. Two are temporary construction agreements with Jersey City Urban Edge, LLC, and Hugo Neu Kearny Development, LLC. The third is a permanent easement with Hugo Neu for infrastructure that will remain on their property after the work is done. The city had already secured a similar agreement with private property owner Joseph Scibetta in 2025, after years of negotiation that resulted in Bayonne paying Scibetta $15,000 per month through June 2028.

This isn’t just routine maintenance. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) requires this replacement as a condition of the city’s water allocation permit. The deadline is June 30, 2028. Tomaszewski said the work itself should take about 18 months, but the permitting process—including land use permits from the DEP—adds time. The easements are a necessary first step simply to apply for those permits.

For Bayonne residents, this is about the water that comes out of the tap every morning. The city gets a significant portion of its water from the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission, which pulls from reservoirs in the northern part of the state. That water travels a long way through pipes, including this aging line under the river. A failure there wouldn’t just mean inconvenience—it could mean widespread water loss, pressure problems, and a boil water advisory that would affect thousands of homes and businesses.

“This is a critical piece of infrastructure, and it’s one of those things you don’t think about until something goes wrong,” said one city official who asked to remain anonymous after the meeting. The goal is to fix it before it breaks.

“This particular project is critical because it’s underneath the Hackensack River,” Tomaszewski said. “The city has a significant regulatory necessity to get this done.”

Council members did not raise objections during the vote. The unanimous approval signals that the project has broad support, even as the city continues to juggle other infrastructure needs, from roads to sewers to the ongoing redevelopment along the waterfront.

Residents won’t see immediate changes to their water service. The next step is for the city to apply for the necessary DEP permits, which can now move forward thanks to the easements. Then, construction will begin—likely in the coming months.

Bayonne has been here before. The city has dealt with water main breaks, aging infrastructure, and the constant push to modernize a system built decades ago. This project is a step to make sure the next generation doesn’t have to fill up every pot in the house, wondering if the water is safe.