Boil water advisory continues for several Metro Detroit communities after water main break

A precautionary boil water notice was issued for 7 communities on Saturday after a water main break caused a loss of pressure.

The advisory initially covered 23 Metro Detroit communities Saturday morning, but was updated to include only 7 by Sunday afternoon. The advisory was lifted for the following communities: Chesterfield Township, Clinton Township, Flint, Flint Township, Lenox Township, Rochester Hills, Pontiac, Auburn Hills, Mayfield Township, Macomb Township, City of New Haven, Orion Township, Utica, Troy, Sterling Heights and Lapeer.

UPDATED: Boil water advisory remains in place for 7 Metro Detroit areas, repair timeline 2-4 weeks

Officials say that crews have identified the location of a leak on a 120-inch water transmission main that distributes finished drinking water from a Lake Huron water treatment facility. According to Great Lakes Water Authority, an estimated 935,000 people were impacted as of Saturday morning. Officials are investigating the cause of the water main break.

As of Sunday crews have isolated the break and have begun the process of removing water from the site to prepare the area for repairs. According to GLWA, the estimated timeframe for repairs and water quality testing is two weeks.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) at 4 p.m. Saturday to respond to the ongoing water main break.

“Our top priority right now is protecting the public health and safety of Michigan residents until this water main is fixed as quickly as possible,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “I have activated the State Emergency Operations Center to ensure that every possible resource is available to GLWA and the impacted communities to accomplish that goal. I’m grateful to all of the first responders, utility workers, leadership at the county and municipal levels, and everyone else who is working hard to make sure our neighbors have safe water. We will continue to work with local officials and are prepared to offer the full weight of state resources to get the job done.”

Officials with the GLWA have been working to repair the broken water main. When a water system loses pressure, there’s a risk of bacterial contamination. As a result, precautionary measures have been taken.

GLWA states that crews will open emergency connections to other mains once the leak is isolated to restore flow to those impacted.

Residents are urged not to drink the water without boiling it first. Those wanting to consume the water are to boil it for at least one minute and then let it cool before use. This advisory is for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth and preparing food until further notice.

You can see a list of the affected areas below.

• The Village of Almont
• Bruce Township
• Burtchville Township
• City of Imlay City
• City of Rochester
• City of Romeo (Just the industrial park, not the entire city)
• Shelby Township
• Washington Township