Community Corner
Detroit Boil Water Advisory: State DEQ Weighs In
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality said two rounds of testing give the all-clear to drink water from the tap, with one caveat.
DETROIT, MI — Go ahead and drink the water. At noon Friday, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality lifted the boil water advisory that had been in effect in a large part of Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck since Tuesday night.
The advisory was issued after a pump malfunction caused low water pressure at the Water Works Park distribution facility operated by the Great Lakes Water Authority.
Two recent rounds of testing show no bacterial contamination in Detroit’s water supply and the water meets the Safe Drinking Water Act, the city said, citing a statement from the DEQ.
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The boil water advisory caught some downtown residents and businesses by surprise. The initial boundary lines of the advisory area were vague, and officials with downtown’s biggest landlord, Bedrock Detroit, advised tenants the water was safe to drink.
“The second round of test results taken by the Great Lakes Water Authority related to the February 28, 2017, boil water advisory have come back clear,” according to the statement from the DEQ. “Given that both sets of test results have proven that there was nothing wrong with the water, GLWA has made the recommendation to the impacted communities that the boil water advisory can be lifted.”
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The MDEQ standard for issuing a boil water advisory occurs when water pressure decreases to below 20 pounds per square inch. Detroit’s pressure never fell below 20 PSI; however, MDEQ issued the advisory as a precaution for the entire area served by the Water Works Park facility.
While the boil water advisory has been lifted, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department recommends that if water has not been used for six hours or more, water should run from the tap until it is cold and continue to run for an additional two minutes for fresh water.
If homes or businesses have no water service in the areas defined in this advisory, they should call the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department emergency line at (313) 267-7401.
Photo by Michael Hamann via Flickr Commons
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