| Emergency repair could have residents boiling water Multiple communities affected by water-main work By Kristyne E. Demske MACOMB/OAKLAND COUNTY — Emergency water-main work on Dequindre Road at the border of Oakland and Macomb counties will have residents in several communities affected by water restrictions, possible low pressure and some boil-water alerts. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department will be working on a 12-mile stretch of water main along Dequindre Road from M-59 to 32 Mile Road from 7 p.m. July 1 to 7 a.m. July 2, closing down Dequindre from South Boulevard to Auburn Road to allow access to the repair site. “(A) leak was reported to us by the Oakland County Road Commission last Thursday (June 25),” said George Ellenwood, spokesman for DWSD. He said they had planned to make the repairs over the June 27 weekend but “we were asked to delay it so that the communities could be fully prepared and coordinate what they were going to do.” The repairs are expected to directly impact water pressure in Washington, Shelby, Macomb, Chesterfield, Harrison and Lenox townships; Rochester Hills; the Village of New Haven; a portion of Romeo; and sections of the city of Rochester. Residents in those areas, along with those in Clinton Township, Sterling Heights and Utica, are asked to refrain from outside water usage between noon July 1 and noon July 2 to expedite the repairs. “In some cases, there will be a slight drop of pressure; in others, there may be a noticeable drop in pressure,” said Ellenwood. And while DWSD is not itself issuing any boil-water alerts, some communities are asking their residents to boil water just to be safe. Shelby Township is telling all residents to start boiling water for human consumption — which includes brushing teeth and washing food — at 7 p.m. July 1 until further notice. “Not everybody may be without pressure, but in a precautionary measure, we want to make sure that everybody’s got safe water to drink,” said Dave Miller, assistant director of the Shelby Township Department of Public Works. He said state requirements mandate that two separate samples — which each take two days to be fully tested — have to be taken if there is a total loss of water pressure. They hope to have the alert lifted by the July 4 holiday and will keep residents appraised of the matter via Shelby TV and other local media. But he said the water would be fine to use for washing clothes or showering. The city of Rochester is issuing a partial boil-water alert as well, during the same time period as Shelby Township, since the eastern portion of the city gets its water from the township. Residents can look for updates on the city’s Web site, www.ci.rochester.mi.us, under the “top stories” heading, and on the city’s cable television station. “We also think that it’s good to be very conservative in matters of drinking water,” he said. Residents in the other affected cities and townships should call their respective departments of public works to inquire about possible boil-water alerts in their towns. You can reach Staff Writer Kristyne E. Demske at kdemske@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1041. |
