GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The boil-water advisory was lifted Wednesday afternoon just before noon, after a second wave of water quality test results came back clean.
The advisory was issued after a water main break near Leonard and Union Sunday afternoon. City officials say tap water throughout the affected area carried the potential for bacterial contamination.
"The City has flushed the system and has completed all required testing and sampling in accordance with Federal and State rules and regulations," a press release said.
"Residents and businesses no longer need to boil water to make it safe to consume; however, there are a number of recommended actions before residents resume using water."
A first round of water sample test results came back clean Tuesday afternoon.
"There was a failure on a 12-inch main that interconnects between two critical transmission mains that supply the northeast side," Wayne Jernberg, water systems manager for the city of Grand Rapids, explained Tuesday.
"It caused an inability for us to get water to our elevated storage facilities and other pump stations downstream."
Computers monitoring the system detected the disruption and started turning pumps off at the Livingston pump station near Belknap Lookout.
Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington told FOX 17 Tuesday that he would be launching an assessment of what went wrong not only in regards to infrastructure but also with the computer system.
So, how did it all transpire?
Sunday, March 17
Just before 12:30 p.m. — The initial water main break happens at Leonard and Union.
12:30 p.m. — Water Department staffers first notice something abnormal happening within their systems.
1:00 p.m. — Operator begins seeing pumps fall offline at the Livingston Pump Station near Belknap Lookout.
“Because of the loss in pressure in the system, those pumps have an automatic pressure switch in there on them, on their discharge valves, that shut those valves and then the pumps shut off to protect the pumps,” Jernberg explained Tuesday.
1:30 p.m. — Calls start coming in from affected residents.
1:45 p.m. — Water Department staff arrives at Livingston Pump Station.
2:30 p.m. — Water staff gathers at administration building to continue addressing problems.
3:00 p.m. — Boil-water advisory is issued to the public.
6:00 p.m. — Water staff starts flushing water mains and hundreds of hydrants.
Monday, March 18
1:00 p.m. — Infrastructure repairs are completed.
Tuesday, March 19
1:00 p.m. — First round of water sample test results come back clean.
Wednesday, March 20
1:00 p.m. — Second round of water sample tests expected back.
What to do now?
The city of Grand Rapids issued the following safety parameters after the advisory was lifted.:
Flush Plumbing, Pipes, and Faucets (interior and exterior)
- Unscrew and remove faucet screens/aerators and clean out any particles.
- Run cold water through your faucets and appliances with direct water connections for at least 5 minutes.
- To clear hot water pipes and the water heater of untreated water, run hot water only at all faucets and flush until the water runs cool.
- Put the screens/aerators back on the faucets.
Check Appliances/Devices
- Remove and replace all water filters, including water coolers, inline filters, and other appliances with direct water connections. The filter could be contaminated if you ran water through any filter during the boil water advisory.
- Always read and follow the owner’s manual for directions to flush and replace filters for all appliances that use water.
- Water dispensers from refrigerators should be flushed by at least one gallon of water, refer to the owner’s manual.
- Dump existing ice and flush the water feed lines, making and discarding three batches of ice cubes.
- After flushing hot water pipes and water heater, run an empty dishwasher one time on the hottest or sanitize cycle.
- Run water softener through a full regeneration cycle.
- Remove and replace filters in portable and furnace humidifiers.
Restaurants and food service facilities should refer to guidance from the Kent County Health Department concerning requirements for their operations.
The city of Grand Rapids is planning a press conference for 2 p.m. Wednesday.
FOX 17 will have a crew there and will provide updates once available.
"While this has certainly been a disruption for our community, our Water Department employees were able to quickly identify and correct the issue while staff from departments across the organization pulled together to support our residents compassionately and professionally. This is exactly what our community expects in challenging times and our employees never fail to deliver,” City Manager Mark Washington said in a statement Wednesday.
“While we’re all able to return to a sense of normalcy, our work internally is just starting as we continue to assess this event, determine lessons learned, and refine how the city might improve our response to potential issues in the future.”
Mayor Rosalynn Bliss added, “When times are tough, the true character of our city shines through and Grand Rapidians always shine bright. I can’t thank our residents enough for their patience as our Water Department and city employees worked day and night to restore our water system.”
On another note, some residents have reached out to FOX 17 asking if the water issue was at all related to cyberattacks recently reported on by CNN.
An article published Tuesday, March 19 reads, "Cyberattacks are hitting water and wastewater systems 'throughout the United States' and state governments and water facilities must improve their defenses against the threat, the White House and Environmental Protection Agency warned US governors on Tuesday."
A spokesperson for the city of Grand Rapids confirmed to FOX 17 Wednesday morning that the current issues have nothing to do with any sort of cyberattack.
The city held a press conference shortly after the advisory's expiration.
Watch here:
Meanwhile, Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) says they will stick to precautions while cleaning occurs after the school day.
“This was a curveball we didn’t see coming but I couldn’t be more grateful for our partners at the City of Grand Rapids. They responded quickly and communicated thoroughly so that our community understood what was happening,” says Superintendent Dr. Leadriane Roby. “We know this impacted just about everyone in our school community. Our facilities teams made adjustments on the fly, our nutrition services division made changes promptly, and our staff worked hard to ensure our scholars were safe as they returned to school today. When our community comes together, we make things happen on behalf of our children.”
GRPS adds bottled water will continued to be provided through the rest of the week for schools impacted by the advisory.
Anyone with additional questions about the water situation is asked to contact the Grand Rapids customer service line at (616) 456-3000 or by dialing 311 within city limits.
If you have further questions, or need to report a water/sewer emergency, please contact customer service by dialing (616) 456-3000, or dial 311 if you are within the city limits.
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