The city of Hoboken has entered into a new contract with SUEZ Water, which will help to improve the city’s plumbing infrastructure.

Hoboken has often been plagued by water main breaks, which can cripple the city at times. The new contract will raise $33 million to upgrade the system and to hopefully help eliminate the issues.

“It’s a day where Hoboken finally, after decades, is finally reclaiming control over its destiny and its water system,” says Mayor Ravi Bhalla.

Bhalla and SUEZ officials ceremoniously flushed out a city fire hydrant Monday to mark the new era.

SUEZ will no longer be in charge of Hoboken’s water system. Instead, the two entities created a city-operated water utility. That agency will now take in the revenue from water bills. This means that Hoboken can decide how much is spent. There are plans for millions to fix or replace the old and deteriorating water mains in Hoboken.

“We also have $1.2 million a year for water main breaks themselves and $2.2 million per year in proactive measures to repair vulnerable areas,” says Bhalla. “That’s six times the amount in previous contracts.”

There will also be $2 million set aside for technology which helps identify potentially vulnerable areas in the system.

Hoboken will pay SUEZ to operate, maintain and repair the system. SUEZ Vice President of NorthEast Services Xavier Castro says that the partnership is a win for all involved.

“The city of Hoboken has truly changed and that we have been able to continue this partnership and have been able to adapt the contract is a good sign and the true meaning of a partnership,” Castro says.

Castro says that this type of arrangement is already in place in other cities in the state, including neighboring Jersey City.