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MACOMB TOWNSHIP — A broken water main in Macomb Township caused five communities in Macomb and Oakland counties to be under a boil water advisory from Aug. 1 to Aug. 3.
The Great Lakes Water Authority said the break was isolated and that service was restored by noon Aug. 1, but boil water advisories remained in effect for the next two days in Chesterfield Township, Lenox Township, Macomb Township, the Village of New Haven and the east side of the city of Rochester. About 152,000 people were estimated to be directly affected by the break.
A 36-inch GLWA main broke in the early hours of Aug. 1 near the intersection of 24 Mile Road and North Avenue. Dave Armstrong, a Macomb Township resident who lives close to where the break occurred, was first alerted around 5:40 a.m. when his sump pump began to run.
“As soon as I looked out my front bedroom window, I saw the gusher,” Armstrong said.
Macomb Township Frank Viviano said he was informed of the break around 6 a.m. by the township’s Department of Public Works. The GLWA detected a drop in pressure in the water main around that time as well. By 7 a.m., crews from various regional and county agencies were at the scene working to fix the main. Water pressure dropped in the township, but service was restored within the day.
Two township-level mains, one along Romeo Plank Road between 23 Mile and 24 Mile roads and one in the Fox Run subdivision, were also broken following the loss of pressure in the 36-inch main. Road repairs will leave 24 Mile between North Avenue and Fairchild Road closed until Wednesday, Aug. 16, according to an estimate by the Macomb County Department of Roads. The Department of Roads announced the affected stretch of Romeo Plank Road was open on Aug. 2.
Viviano did not expect the effects of this break to last nearly as long as when the GLWA’s 120-inch main broke nearly a year ago on Aug. 13, 2022.
“For an extended break we had before, they shut off our source there, we opened up connections to the south and they were able to restore pressure from the south pushing north,” Viviano said. “This break is not nearly as bad. They isolated it fairly quickly. We already had a parallel backup in place at that location, so all they had to do was redirect the water.”
Under a boil water advisory, affected residents should boil water for a minute and let it cool before using it for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth and preparing food. Bottled and disinfected water can also be used. Bacteria can enter the system when pressure is lost, and boiling water kills bacteria in it.
Boil water advisories remain in effect until the water passes two tests by the GLWA, each taken 24-hours apart.
