Oakland County Water Main Break: Power Surge Blamed For Break

NOVI, MI — A power surge is being blamed for Monday’s water main break in Farmington Hills that left Novi, Wixom, Walled Lake and Commerce Township mostly dry and forced a mandatory boil water advisory in seven other Oakland County communities, according to Novi officials.

The surge originated in nearby Livonia and sent high pressure north in the Great Lakes Water Authority system. It caused a 48-inch transmission main to fail on 14 Mile Road between Farmington and Drake roads, Novi said in a statement.

Novi City Councilman Brian Burke doesn’t see the break as a larger infrastructural problem with the Great Lakes Water Authority.

“Not necessarily,” he said. “It was power surge that caused the failure and shot everything out. It’s just an unfortunate incident.”

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The water main break closed schools in Novi, Walled Lake, West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Hills. Many Novi businesses were closed because of the break, while others made do with what water remained in the system, but Burke said that’s not likely to last.

“We have a 12 million gallon storage facility that we fill up at night to keep the residents’ rates low,” he said, “so of course that’s going to run out and eventually we will be down to no water.”

Providence Park Hospital in Novi is transferred some of its patients to Providence Hospital in Southfield. In West Bloomfield, Henry Ford Health closed its clinics for the day because the company says it has no water, according to a Detroit News report.

The Water Authority said after repairs are completed two rounds of water quality testing will need to be completed following the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality guidelines before it can lift the boil water advisory.

Friday evening is the earliest that could happen, the Water Authority said. “As the situation continues to evolve, this timeline too, could change,” it said in a statement.

In all, 11 Oakland County communities are affected, the Detroit Free Press reported. They include:

• Bloomfield Township; Commerce; Farmington Hills – North of 696; Keego Harbor; Oakland Township – The Hills of Oakland and Kings Pointe Subdivisions only; Orchard Lake; Novi – In the area bounded by 14 mile on the north, 8 mile on the south, Napier on the west, and Haggerty on the east; Rochester Hills – North of Hamlin and West of Livernois; Wixom; West Bloomfield Township and Walled Lake.

In Novi, the city passed out bottled water at several locations. City hall is one of the locations and about 250 residents were given water by noon Tuesday.

“They’re getting four bottles per day, per person in a household,” said Burke, who help pass the water out. “So we’re trying to do the best we can to make this a smooth little operation here.”

Other locations include Fire Stations No. 1, 2 and 4. In addition, ITC Community Sports Park (51000 Eight Mile, 8 Mile & Napier) has well water, but can be used for cooking and drinking, Novi officials said.

Non-potable water from the Department of Public Services at 26300 Lee BeGole Drive is also available and can be used for flushing toilets. City officials said residents should bring their own containers to fill.

Photos by Scott Daniel (Patch Staff)