Boil Water Advisory Issued for Michigan Families Due to Major Leak Affecting 13 Townships

Michigan families in 13 townships have been issued a boil water advisory following a leak in one of the major pipelines that distribute water from the treatment facility.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency and activated the State Emergency Operations Center to ensure that resources would be available to families affected by this unexpected incident. About 133,000 people in the Greater Detroit area will have to contend with boiling their water before drinking for the next two weeks, per CNN.

The leak was discovered Saturday, August 13, and is estimated to be at least one mile. Officials are still trying to determine the cause, but crews have been called in to do the repairs.

Where are the affected Michigan townships?

Initial assessments showed that 935,000 residents in 23 communities could be affected by the major leak, but the boil water advisory was lifted for some of the townships over the weekend. However, the most affected are the communities in Almont, Bruce, Burtchville, Imlay City, Rochester, Shelby, and Washington, while a business and industrial park in Greenwood and Romeo are also included in the advisory, per the Detroit Free Press.

However, Flint residents included in the initial list of 23 areas no longer need to boil water. Flint Public Works Director Mike Brown assured locals that they were able to redirect their secondary water supply line to the Cedar Street Reservoir, so the community's water quality is unaffected. A major water contamination impacted Flint from 2014 to 2015, which led to diseases and lawsuits.

The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) said that residents must not drink from their tap water directly and must cool off their boiling water supply before drinking. They should also use boiled water for cooking, washing dishes, and brushing their teeth or purchase bottled water if they don't prefer to boil.

The boil water advisory was declared because losing water pressure under such a prolonged period could bring about bacterial contamination in the state's water system. Boiling will kill those bacteria. To lessen the risk of microbe infection, locals may call the Great Lakes Water Authority Water Quality at (313) 926-8192 or (313) 926-8128 or the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline via 1(800) 426-4791 for questions.

Restoration still not normal for some households

Water flow for many of the townships, however, is still not at the normal levels, but GLWA said the supply will still be sufficient for daily cleaning and sanitary purposes. In a statement, GLWA executive Suzanne R. Coffey said that they understand the real-life impact of this water break and asked the public for patience and understanding, per ABC News.

Some residents confirmed that water pressure in their homes is currently low, while others said they do not have water for flushing toilets or even boiling water.

Meanwhile, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is distributing free supplies of bottled water for drinking, cooking, and mixing infant formula for Benton Harbor residents. Water delivery may be arranged by contacting 844-875-9211.