Field crews repair a broken water main in Farmington Hills the weekend of March 7.
By: Gena Johnson | C&G Newspapers | Published March 20, 2026
FARMINGTON HILLS/WEST BLOOM-FIELD — Officials in Farmington Hills and neighboring communities are commending each other for their work handling the aftermath of a water main that broke in Farmington Hills earlier this month.
The incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. Saturday, March 7 when a 48-inch water main broke at 14 Mile Road and Verona Street, flooding the immediate area and causing water pressure to plummet at nearby properties. A boil water advisory was issued for some neighboring cities
The flooded roads required public safety officers to rescue stranded motorists and their vehicles and relocate residents from their homes.
“Four individuals (were) trapped in three vehicles after floodwater from the Great Lakes Water Authority water main break rose around them,” said Farmington Hills Deputy Fire Chief Jason Olszewski. “Police and fire personnel from Farmington Hills and West Bloomfield used water-rescue suits to safely remove everyone from the area. Several nearby homes with basement water damage were identified, and residents were temporarily relocated as a precaution until GLWA isolated the break.”
GLWA is Oakland County’s water provider, leasing the regional water lines and related infrastructure from the city of Detroit, which maintains ownership.
“At no point did Farmington Hills experience a drop in water pressure requiring a boil-water advisory,” Olszewski noted.
At the March 9 meeting of the West Bloomfield Board of Trustees, Justin Taylor, the water and sewer utilities director for the township, commended law enforcement officers and members of his team for their prompt response and professionalism.
“Incidents like this require quick coordination and clear communication,” Taylor said. “(Public safety) teams responded rapidly, securing the area, managing traffic and handling public safety concerns. We’re grateful for the partnership.”
Taylor highlighted several employees who put in exceptional work.
“Andrew Whitney, Corey Thomas and Tim Sobczak were able to respond and isolate our master meter vaults within the affected section of the transmission main,” Taylor said. “Because of their swift action, water pressure was recovered quickly, and West Bloomfield did not have to issue a boil water advisory to residents.”
Although the water main break was in Farmington Hills, the city’s neighbors to the west were most affected. Novi and Walled Lake lost water pressure that required a boil-water advisory.
The Haggerty Pump Station, located at 39955 West 14 Mile Road, sits on the Novi side of the Novi/Farmington Hills junction near the 14 Mile and Haggerty roads intersection. Water main pipers were successfully reconfigured, and sections of the regional water system were isolated.
This allowed water to slowly enter Novi’s water system, which increased water pressure, taking hours to stabilize, according to GLWA.
Officials with GLWA also noted that in Walled Lake, an emergency connection with Commerce Township helped return waterflow to normal.
The water main was repaired with 20 feet of steel. The water main was inspected on either side of the break, and distressed steel was identified about 80 feet from the break.
The boil water advisory was lifted the morning of March 11.