PATERSON, N.J. — Residents in a northern New Jersey city grew more frustrated Monday as they endured a fourth day with little or no water service following a water main break. Some were relying on portable showers and toilets to meet their basic needs.<\/p>\n
But officials in Paterson \u2014 the state\u2019s third-largest city \u2014 said some relief should arrive by Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
The problems began Friday when a 30-inch, 140-year-old water main broke. Some residents have had no water service since and thousands are dealing with extremely low water pressure.<\/p>\n
Nearly 200,000 customers remain under a boil water order<\/a> issued by the Passaic Valley Water Commission. The advisory \u2014 which asks residents not to fill large jugs or containers, water lawns or open hydrants until at least Friday \u2014 affects Paterson and three other smaller, neighboring communities.<\/p>\n Portable showers and toilets were set up over the weekend at a high school in the city, and the water commission and city are providing free bottled water to residents, including deliveries to the homes of elderly people.<\/p>\n The inconvenience of the break left many residents frustrated and seeking their own solutions.<\/p>\n Vanessa Ramos, who was pushing a baby carriage filled with jugs of water up a street in Paterson on Monday morning, told NJ.com<\/a> that she filled the jugs at her job, which has water and is about a mile away. However, she expressed reluctance to use the showers installed at the nearby high school. <\/p>\n \u201cWe have a lot of homeless and a lot of people who have substance abuse issues,\u201d Ramos said.<\/p>\n Another resident, Vanessa Hopkins, was also angry about the situation.<\/p>\n