Boil water advisory lifted for Oakland County communities impacted by Auburn Hills water main break
Crews work to repair a broken water main in Auburn Hills on May 11, 2026
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A boil water advisory has been lifted for Oakland County communities impacted by the 42-inch water main break in Auburn Hills, the Great Lakes Water Authority said Saturday.
Big picture view:
The advisory has been lifted for Orion Township, the Village of Lake Orion, the northern section of Auburn Hills, the northwest corner of Rochester Hills and a small portion of Oakland Township.
Residents can visit the Oakland County Health Division website for instructions on what to do after a boil water advisory is lifted.
The backstory:
Portions of Oakland County had been under a boil water advisory, and residents were urged to restrict water usage after the water main break in Auburn Hills on Sunday, May 10.
The break happened at River Woods Park, days after a leak had been discovered. A state of emergency was declared, and officials told thousands of households across the county to limit water usage.
Water Main Break Impacts Oakland County
GLWA Responding to 42-inch Water Main Break in Auburn Hills • GLWA Field Service Crews are working to isolate the break so that repairs can begin •GLWA is asking the residents of Orion Township, the Village of Lake Orion, City of Rochester Hills, and the northern section of Auburn Hills to restrict water use to only that which is absolutely essential
Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett announced Wednesday that GLWA completed repairs to the water main by installing a new 42-inch pipe ahead of schedule.
Emergency water restrictions were lifted following the announcement.
Officials: Oakland County water main pressure restored; residents still under boil advisory
But Orion Township supervisor Chris Barnett added that residents should not drink the water yet with boil water advisories in effect.
What they're saying:
Susan Coffey, GLWA’s chief executive officer, said five agencies worked together to reverse emergency water operations and restore normal service.
"As of now, GLWA’s water is flowing through typical, normal operations through that 42-inch pipe to the communities, and the communities’ connections are open," Coffey said. "Our team did just a phenomenal job."
Oakland County residents show their appreciation to GLWA workers amid water main repairs
It’s been an around-the-clock, all-hands-on-deck effort to fix a water main break in northern Oakland County that left thousands of households without water.
By the numbers:
GLWA sent water trucks to impacted communities and distributed more than 31,700 gallons of water during the emergency response.
Oakland County residents line up at water distribution sites amid water main break
Thousands of Oakland County residents are still dealing with the aftermath of the water main break that left many under boil water advisories and strict water use restrictions.
What's next:
According to GLWA, water sampling and bacterial analysis are underway and expected to take several days to complete.
The Source: Information came from the Great Lakes Water Authority and previous FOX 2 reporting.