BREAKING NEWS FIRST REPORT EXCLUSIVE

We have learned and confirmed the news of a major water leak in Atlantic City.

We have also obtained internal documents, including a full copy of an email sent from James Sullivan, Director of Operations from The South Jersey Transportation Authority to key officials.

According to Thomas Gates, SJTA Lead Forman - East Maintenance, he reports that:

Please see attached for multiple water main breaks SB RT 87, 0.1 South E Ramp prior to tunnel entrance.
Both sides of Rt 87/ Huron are covered with water and ice. ACPD and ACE Comm opts was advised this is most likely an MUA owned break.

Here is the Sullivan email (sent out at 11:10 p.m. last night) as follows:

All,
Good evening.  There is a AC water line break on NJ87, adjacent to our northbound AC-BC tunnel entrance "Ramp D".  The flow is significant as can be seen from the photos.  It has also begun to come up through a manhole on the eastbound side as well, and the right lane in both directions will need to be closed.
We are into our second hour, and have had great difficulty in contacting AC MUA.   ACPD and our ACX NJSP have both tried to make contact with an after hours entity, but as of this writing writing we have had no call back or response from them.
Tom Gates, Lead Foreperson from our PVille Maintence Yard has responded and are installing an westbound/to southbound right lane and right shoulder closing and are applying salt in an effort to preclude icing.
An additional ESP truck has been called in and will be assigned to this area, to assist with motorists and should a ramp closure and detour be required.
We'll update as warranted.
Jim

James G. Sullivan
Director of Operations
South Jersey Transportation Authority

We spoke with Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority Chairman John Devlin at 1:00 a.m. this morning. Devlin unloaded as follows:
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“There is a Biblical leak at ACMUA and nobody can get a hold of Director Armstrong!”
“Tens of thousands of gallons of water are flowing in the street and starting to freeze.”
“Nobody is manning the phones … there is no emergency phone number to call. Unanswered phones, phone numbers given to the police are disconnected numbers.”
“We have hundreds of thousands of dollars lost in damages, if not millions of dollars.”
“No one is manning the helm. The Police had to contact board members to obtain contact information.”
“Water flowed for hours before anyone was contacted- it’s a total cluster ****”
“Finally able to wake the Director out of bed after midnight. A total disgrace - yet they are worried about removing me. The lights are on … but nobody is home,”concluded Devlin.
SOURCES: John Devlin, Chairman, Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority and SJTA internal emails.

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