Water restored in Novi area after transmission line break, many still under boil water advisory
Water service was restored by Friday morning to the communities affected by a massive water main break Thursday morning in and near Novi, Michigan, the Great Lakes Water Authority says.
But disruptions to daily routines, including boil water advisories, school closures and the road closing along 14 Mile Road continue for thousands of people who live, work or go to school in Commerce, Walled Lake and parts of Novi. The Great Lakes Water Authority has sent water trucks into the affected neighborhoods to help provide residents and businesses with water, and in some cases, businesses arranged for water bottles and portable toilets as a temporary step.
Repairs continue
Great Lakes Water Authority, which is the regional water system in charge of the 42-inch transmission line that broke on 14 Mile Road, said utility crews worked all day Thursday and into the night to pressurize a 24-inch line and get water service restored.
Service was returned to all affected communities by Friday morning, GLWA said, although utility crews will remain on site until repairs are complete on the 42-inch transmission line.
The City of Novi said its residents should be noticing improved water pressure, although it may not yet be at full strength. "The system is stable, but it's a good idea to fill your bathtub or other containers with water as a backup supply in case service is interrupted again," the city of Novi said Friday morning.
City officials say it will take several weeks for repairs to be finished. Crews completed isolating the broken water main on Friday afternoon and are now flushing the system before water quality testing can start.
Once flushing is complete, Great Lakes Water Authority crews will begin collecting water samples. Per state regulations, two consecutive clean samples must be taken 24 hours apart before a boil water advisory can be lifted. Novi officials said the first sample could be collected on Sunday "if all goes as planned."
Officials said on Saturday that it's hopeful the advisory can be lifted on Tuesday, but asked residents to be prepared for it to remain in place until Wednesday in case more testing is needed.
Currently, 14 Mile Road between Welch Road and M-5 will remain closed to through traffic.
Boil water advisories
The Great Lakes Water Authority lifted a boil water alert that was issued as a precaution for the City of Wixom late Thursday. A boil water advisory for Walled Lake was lifted Sunday morning.
But the boil water advisories for the Novi neighborhoods that lost water remain in effect until further notice. The city of Novi said Friday morning that it expects the boil water advisory for its residents to remain in effect until Sunday.
Outdoor water use
An outdoor water use restriction was posted for Novi and for nearby West Bloomfield, with residents asked to turn off irrigation systems to help ease water demand in the region.
GLWA didn't specifically mention outdoor water use in its Friday morning report, but the water authority is asking all residents in the affected communities "to conserve water resources over the weekend to limit any additional stress on the system."