Some Oakland County residents could be without water for 2 weeks after Auburn Hills water main break
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A water main break early Sunday in Auburn Hills is impacting residents of multiple surrounding cities, 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.
An update is expected at 10 a.m. Sunday. It can be watched live above.
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.
Residents in Auburn Hills north of Cross Creek Parkway/University Drive, and the northwest portion of Auburn Hills are also under boil water advisories.
Rochester Hills boil water advisory map
When the break is isolated, Orion Township, Lake Orion, and the northern section of Auburn Hills will no longer be receiving water from GLWA, and will likely lose water entirely in a matter of hours.
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
"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 Friday, 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.
What's next:
GLWA crews have closed valves on the north and south side of the break as they work to isolate the break. According to GLWA, these valves in surrounding cities were identified when the main first started leaking.
Once the break is fully isolated, Orion Township, Lake Orion, and the northern section of Auburn Hills will no longer be receiving water from GLWA and water pressure in these communities will begin to drop. Depending on water use, water storage, and system factors, the time until water pressure is entirely lost is unknown but is estimated to be six to 12 hours.
The Source: This information is from GLWA.