Boil-Water Alert: Updated Map Of Area Affected In Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park

(Updated) DETROIT, MI — Residents of a large area of Detroit and in the cities of Hamtramck and Highland Park are advised to boil water after a temporary drop in pressure in the water supply, the city said Wednesday. As a result, bacterial contamination may have occurred in the water system.

“Bacteria are generally not harmful and are common throughout our environment,” the city said in a statement. “Corrective measures are currently being undertaken to correct the situation.”

The area affected is south of McNichols, East of Linwood and west of Conner, the city said.

The city said residents in the area shouldn’t drink the water without boiling it first. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice.

Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

The Great Lakes Water Authority and the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department are working to get pressure restored, and water staff will be taking other remedial actions such as flushing and collecting bacteriological samples from around the system, the city said.Samples will be collected to determine that the water quality meets the state drinking water standards. GLWA and DWSD will inform customers when tests show no bacteria and customers no longer need to boil water.

The boil water notice remains in effect for the affected area until results from the sampling verify the water is safe to drink. Customers will be advised when the boil water advisory has been lifted.
If residents or businesses have no water service in the area defined in the advisory should call the DWSD emergency line at (313) 267-7401.

Photo by Scott Akerman via Flickr Commons