Lake Orion Community Schools closed Monday and Tuesday due to water main break
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.
LAKE ORION, Mich. (FOX 2) - Students in the Lake Orion Community Schools, which serves both Lake Orion and Orion Township, will have no school Monday and Tuesday due to a water main break creating massive problems in the area.
"Right now, there's no school tomorrow, there's no church today, and unfortunately, there's no Mother's Day brunch either in Orion Township," said Chris Barnett, the supervisor of Orion Township.
The backstory:
The break that happened around 1:30 a.m. Sunday at River Woods Park in Auburn Hills is expected to lead to Lake Orion, Orion Township, and northern Auburn Hills losing water at some point in the day. Currently, these communities are receiving water from water towers, and should only use their taps if absolutely necessary.
Multiple areas are impacted because the main feeds both Orion Township and Lake Orion, as well as Auburn Hills, where it is located. Valves that were identified in neighboring townships when the main first began leaking last week were closed for crews to work on the main.
Officials called it "a very serious situation" as they urged residents and businesses to be as mindful as possible about their water use. Barnett said the water tower supplying his township only has enough water for about one day at this time of year, making it imperative that usage is limited.
Water trucks have been staged in each of the impacted communities:
- 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
What's next:
Crews are at the scene of the break. 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.
GLWA said Sunday morning that residents and businesses in Orion Township, Lake Orion, and northern Auburn Hills should prepare to be without water for 14 days or more.
Officials said this situation is rapidly changing, and updates are coming frequently.
The Source: This information is from GLWA and a press conference.