FLINT, MI -- The city of Flint and Flint Township were removed from a list of 23 communities the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) issued a boil water advisory for Saturday morning because of a water main leak.
Following the emergency alert, the city of Flint, GLWA and Flint Department of Public Works staff immediately connected to the Cedar Street Reservoir, making the transition to the Genesee County Drain Commission (GCDC) secondary water supply line.
RELATED: Great Lakes Water Authority issues boil water advisory for 23 communities, 935K, after main leak
Flint is now receiving 100% of its water from the GCDC pipeline until further notice and the water quality is unaffected by this change, officials said.
Flint Charter Township is connected to the Karegnondi Water Authority, not the GLWA, Supervisor Karyn Miller told MLive Saturday.
“Thanks to the completion of the secondary GCDC pipeline, our water quality is not affected by the GLWA’s major break this morning,” Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley said in an Aug. 13 city press release, encouraging residents to watch this video explaining Flint’s new water infrastructure.
“My administration has worked diligently over the past two years to ensure that Flint’s water system is protected from malfunctions like these that otherwise would have affected water quality. I want to reassure residents that our city woke up this morning to safe water, with sound and thoughtfully planned infrastructure.”
GLWA said the leak, discovered early Saturday morning, was on a 120-inch water transmission main in the regional water distribution system that distributes finished drinking water from the Lake Huron Water Treatment Facility to communities in the northern part of GLWA’s drinking water service area.
Due to the leak, GLWA has requested Genesee County provide emergency drinking water supply from the GLWA system to several of nearby communities. The organization is currently in the process of also initiating emergency water supply to the city of Lapeer service area and Mayville, officials said.
As it is currently unknown when the GLWA will be able to resume normal operations, the GCDC is asking all residents in Genesee County to conserve water, as a purely precautionary measure.
Until the advisory is lifted, GCDC asks that residents consider limiting high-water-usage activities such as watering lawns, using sprinkler systems, washing down cars and buildings, flushing gutters or other non-essential activities, officials said.
The transmission main is the largest in the regional water distribution system. An estimated 935,000 people were impacted by the leak, GLWA initially said.
Due to changing water pressure levels, the advisory was issued out of an abundance of caution. The other residents cited in the metro Detroit communities should not drink the water without boiling it first, bringing all water to a boil for at least one minute and then let it cool before using.
The boil water advisory currently affects the following communities:
- Village of Almont
- City of Auburn Hills
- Bruce Township
- Burtchville Township
- Chesterfield Township
- Clinton Township
- City of Imlay City
- Lenox Township,
- Macomb Township
- Mayfield Township
- Village of New Haven
- Orion Township
- City of Pontiac
- City of Rochester,
- City of Rochester Hills
- Shelby Township
- City of Sterling Heights
- City of Troy
- City of Utica
- City of Lapeer
- Washington Township
Boiled, bottled or disinfected water should be used for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and preparing food until further notice.
Crews have identified the location of the leak, which is approximately one mile west of GLWA’s Lake Huron Water Treatment Facility and are working to isolate the area around it so that repair work can begin. Once the leak is isolated, crews will begin to open emergency connections to other mains in the system to restore some flow to the impacted communities.
GLWA Water Quality will advise the affected communities when the Boil Water Advisory has been lifted. For more information, contact Great Lakes Water Authority Water Quality at waterquality@glwater.org or by calling 313-926-8192 or 313-926-8128.
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