What to know about GLWA water main break: What communities are impacted, how long until fix
A water main break Saturday near the regional water authority’s water treatment facility in St. Clair County prompted it to place nearly two dozen communities under boil water advisories.
The water main distributes finished drinking water from the Great Lakes Water Authority's Lake Huron Water Treatment Facility to communities in the northern part of the water supplier's service area.
On Sunday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Lapeer, Macomb, Oakland, and St. Clair counties due to the break.
Also Sunday, officials with the Great Lakes Water Authority said crews restored water pressure to communities impacted by the break. The pressure is not at its normal level, but there is enough for sanitary use.
On Monday, authority officials said crews isolated the break in the 120-inch water transmission main and finished removing water from the site to prepare the area for repairs. The next step is an engineering inspection of the pipe, which will be conducted Monday.
They also said a replacement pipe that was ordered and shipped from Texas arrived at the site of the break Sunday.
What communities remain under the advisory
As of Sunday, seven communities with a total population of about 133,000 were still under the boil-water advisory. Those communities are:
► Village of Almont
► Bruce Township
► Burtchville Township
► Imlay City
► Rochester
► Shelby Township
► Washington Township
What people need to do
Under the boil water advisory, people should not drink water from faucets and taps without boiling it first. The water should be boiled for at least one minute and then cooled before use.
Boiled, bottled or disinfected water should be used for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth and preparing food until further notice.
What the state of emergency means
The governor's declaration authorizes the Michigan State Police and its Emergency Management & Homeland Security Division to coordinate efforts to help residents affected by the water main break. State officials said representatives from the agency are on the scene with local emergency management officials and supporting emergency operation centers.
How long it will take
Great Lakes Water Authority officials have said it could take about two weeks before the water main break is fully repaired.
For information, contact the Great Lakes Water Authority's Water Quality Division at waterquality@glwater.org or (313) 926-8192 or (313) 926-8128.