FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (AP) — A water main break in suburban Detroit forced at least two hospitals to curb patient services, shuttered schools and put about a dozen communities under a boil water advisory that is expected to last at least until Friday evening, officials said Tuesday.
The break of a 48-inch (122-centimeter) line on Monday evening in Farmington Hills that serves customers in western portions of Oakland County prompted the advisory, said the Great Lakes Water Authority, a regional water agency that serves the area.
“While we are trying to restore water to as many customers as possible, we are most focused on critical facilities such as hospitals and schools,” the authority said in a statement.
Two hospitals canceled elective surgeries and procedures following the break. Providence Park Hospital in Novi said ambulances were being rerouted away from the hospital and some patients are being transferred to Providence Hospital in Southfield.
Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital said in a statement on its website that it has no water service and its clinics are closed for the day.
The affected communities include parts or all of Bloomfield Township, Commerce Township, Farmington Hills, Keego Harbor, Oakland Township, Orchard Lake, Novi, Novi Township, Rochester Hills, Wixom, West Bloomfield Township and Walled Lake.
The Great Lakes Water Authority cited Oakland County officials in saying the break affected 304,970 county residents. It said 51,380 residents had no water Tuesday afternoon.
The authority said it’s working with community water departments to isolate water systems from the damaged portion of main in order to begin repairs. Officials expect to have a replacement piece of pipe installed by Wednesday night and water quality tests will take place afterward.
The water authority said, however, the timeline could change.
Wixom, Walled Lake, Commerce Township and parts of Novi were expected to have low to no water pressure as repairs take place, the authority said. Oakland County health officials were alerting people and businesses to take precautions before using water.
