On Monday, November 1, two communities within the Spinal Column’s readership area were under a precautionary boil water advisory following a water main break in Farmington Hills on Sunday evening.
The Great Lakes Water Authority reported a break in a 48-inch transmission main on Sunday evening at 14 Mile Road and Drake Road. The break caused low water pressure in Novi and in a handful of surrounding communities.
As a result, a boil water advisory has been issued for all Commerce Township and Walled Lake residents. The City of Wixom’s backup measures were successful, and there is no need to boil water in Wixom, according to information on the city’s website.
Schools within the Walled Lake Consolidated School District were closed on Monday, November 1 as the water main break affected a large portion of the district. An announcement on the district’s website read, “We do not have enough water pressure to safely conduct school and prepare food safely in our buildings.”
The notice will remain in effect until it is confirmed that the water is safe to drink. As of press time, advisories for both communities remained in place. GLWA expects the repair to take three to five days, during which impacted communities will continue to have water flow, however, it may be at a lower level than normal.
Whenever a water system loses pressure for any significant length of time, precautionary measures are recommended because a loss of pressure can lead to bacterial contamination in the water system. Although no contamination has been detected, as a precaution, all water customers in the affected area are advised to boil water used for drinking and cooking.
Water should be boiled for at least one minute and allowed to cool before consumption. Boiled, bottled or disinfected water should be used for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth and preparing food until further notice. After GLWA normal operations have been achieved, the water system in the affected areas will be flushed and samples will be collected.
Oakland County’s water hotline is 248-858-1555. Additional boil water information is available at www.oakgov.com/water/notifications