Volunteers who assisted during Paterson, N.J.’s massive water main break honored by the city

The city of Paterson, N.J. honored community members for helping residents during last month’s massive water main break and repair that left more than 200,000 people in Paterson and the surrounding towns with no water, or low pressure. 

The crisis continued for days after a 140-year-old, 30-inch pipe broke near Hinchliffe Stadium. 

Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh honored the seven community members for their heroic efforts, including Shoranda Roberts and her son Richard Clarke. The two have a nonprofit called Muture Sisters & Brothers that provides showers to unsheltered people. When they heard of the water main break, they knew they had to step in. 

“We came up with a plan”

“I currently own three single shower units, so we took two of our shower units and brought it up to the comfort station, and we came up with a plan,” Roberts said. 

“It was easy to come out and help our citizens,” Clarke said. 

One of the portable showers deployed during the massive Paterson, N.J. water main break. 

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Clarke set up the showers and worked with another honoree, Michael Ramaglia, who is running for Passaic county commissioner. 

“He came up with a bunch of water. He needed some help, so I did both, helped put up the showers and ping ponged and helped Mike,” Clarke said. 

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Ramaglia secured the water with a private donation, and, with the help of some volunteers, placed them in a rented U-Haul, ultimately handing out the water to residents in need. 

“It feels good to help those residents in Paterson and the other three towns.”  

“They needed help”

Other honorees include a retired firefighter and his new colleague, and Black Lives Matter members who brought in more showers. 

“We never imagined that people who did have homes would also need it,” Zelle Thomas of Black Lives Matter said. “We worked the phones all night and we were able to secure 16 [portable toilets].”

“City government can’t do everything, and none of us are on a payroll. They needed help, and we can’t sit there and watch 175,0000 people suffer,” retired fire Capt. Victor Frierson said. 

“The answer was always here, locally,” Sayegh said. 

All the honoree say they got to know each other in the field and will be there for the next crisis, if needed. 

Christine Sloan

Christine Sloan is an Emmy Award-winning reporter, who covers New Jersey for CBS News New York. Sloan re-joined the station in January 2023. She also worked at CBS News New York from 2004 to 2016.