Auburn Hills water main break could leave some Oakland County residents without water for 2 weeks
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A water main break early Sunday in Auburn Hills is impacting residents of several surrounding communities, according to the Great Lakes Water Authority.
According to GLWA, the break occurred on a 42-inch main in River Woods Park around 1:30 a.m. GLWA said valves, which were identified in neighboring townships when the main first began leaking last week, were closed for crews to work on the main.
Residents in Orion Township, Lake Orion, Rochester Hills, and Auburn Hills are asked to restrict their water usage to only essentials, including hydration, food preparation, and basic sanitation. Residents should not run dishwashers, washing machines, or water their lawn.
Auburn Hills water main break update Sunday morning
Officials from impacted communities and the Great Lakes Water Authority provided an update Sunday morning on a water main break affecting Lake Orion, Orion Township, and part of Auburn Hills. Homes and businesses are expected to lose water at some point in the day as reserve sources run out, leading to an emergency situation for these communities.
Residents in Auburn Hills north of Cross Creek Parkway/University Drive, and the northwest portion of Auburn Hills are also under boil water advisories.
Orion Township, Lake Orion, and the northern section of Auburn Hills are no longer receiving water from GLWA, and will likely lose water entirely in a matter of hours.
Rochester Hills boil water advisory map
GLWA CEO Susan Coffey said the main that broke was installed in 1975 and had a 100-year lifespan, so it isn't clear why it broke. Crews will know more once they dig down to the pipe.
According to GLWA, there is not a firm estimate of when water service will be restored, but those in the affected areas should be prepared to be out of water for a minimum of 14 days.
Water for residents
GLWA said water trucks have been sent to the impacted communities. They can be found at:
- Orion Township – Wildwood Amphitheater, 2700 Joslyn Court
- Auburn Hills – Auburn Hills Department of Public Works, 1500 Brown Road
- Lake Orion – Atwater Park, 426 Atwater Street
The trucks are currently expected to operate from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., but may close temporarily to be refilled.
What happened
GLWA became aware of the leak last week and started working to potentially avoid a break. However, the main still broke.
"GLWA would typically isolate such a break and begin repair immediately, however, given the layout of the water systems in this area, immediately isolating would have caused loss of water within hours to all of Orion Township and part of Auburn Hills. Since the leak was found May 6, GLWA has been working diligently with the communities to reroute water and to avoid this circumstance," GLWA wrote in a press release early Sunday. "Despite our best efforts, the water main broke before the rerouting could be completed."
Auburn Hills declares State of Emergency
Just after 8 a.m., Auburn Hills declared a State of Emergency as the city announced the mandatory boil water advisory and ordered residents to only use water when absolutely necessary.
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter said he was in contact with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Sunday morning, and has sent her office an emergency declaration so the area can receive help funding repairs. Her office is expected to expedite this request, he said.
Schools closed Monday
Lake Orion Community Schools will be closed Monday and Tuesday.
The Source: This information is from GLWA.