Troy's boil-water alert lifted after 3 days
Troy's boil-water advisory, which owed to a water main that broke early Sunday morning, has been lifted after three days.
The city's announcement came in just before 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. While the break of the 84-inch water main and the water pressure — and ultimately water cleanliness — issues it created has been resolved, its cause remains unknown.
Great Lakes Water Authority owns and operates that water main.
On Monday, Troy residents and businesses on the west side of the city were coping Monday with the consequences of the water main break.
Tasks such as washing dishes or preparing a cup of coffee took more effort.
"It's been terrible," said Lea Marsiglio Riza. "I have three kids at home. Lots of boiled water. No dishwasher, so that's tough washing dishes. Dinner, not even sure what to do with that."
Riza said she was too nervous to give her children showers Sunday night, although the city says it was safe to do so.
Monday afternoon, an advisory was lifted in neighboring Rochester Hills.
In a statement Monday on the city's website, the Great Lakes Water Authority Water Quality Division said water testing results in Rochester Hills showed appropriate chlorine levels and no bacteria evident.
An 84-inch Great Lakes Water Authority main broke about 3 a.m. Sunday on South Boulevard, west of Dequindre, near the Sanctuary Lake Golf Course, causing “extreme flooding” in the area.
Cedar Grille on Crooks Road in Troy was open Monday for business. The Lebanese restaurant received numerous calls and visits from patrons asking if the business was open and how it was handling the boil-water alert, said manager Camilia Saleh. The Health Department visited to advise them of what to do, she said.
"We bought a lot of water bottles," she said. "We're boiling water for cooking. We’re using hand sanitizer in the bathrooms when we wash our hands. We’re using an emergency plan for washing dishes ... People are coming in and asking how we’re handling it and we’re fine."
Saleh said the restaurant isn't serving coffee, pop or tea.
Restaurants at Somerset Collection North were closed Sunday because of the break, according the Facebook page of Somerset Collection. Somerset Collection’s retail stores remain open, as were restaurants at Somerset Collection South.
Riza said she plans to prepare dinner.
"I've never experienced this before," Riza said. "We just have to do what they recommend. Sure it's inconvenient, but things happen out of our control. I just hope it don't last too much longer."
The boil-water alert extends across “the entire west side of the city,” the statement said, from Rochester to Adams, 14 Mile to South Boulevard.
The city’s east side is on a different water main, the statement said, and is not affected.
Troy resident Christine Du Bois said she doesn't live in the boil-water alert area, but she's very close. As a precaution, she said she's been boiling water and her husband picked up a case of bottled water from the store.
"Because I'm pregnant, I decided to be cautious and avoid using the water," she said. "I am not a bottled water drinker typically, so we didn't have a stash in our home."
The city has set up a water distribution center for affected Troy residents from 6- 9 p.m. Monday at Firefighters Park,1800 W. Square Lake Road. It will reopen from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, officials said. Those who can't get out can call (248) 524-3384 for water delivery.
Affected residents over the age of 60 in need of a home-delivered meal can call Meals on Wheels at (248) 689-0001.