(WXYZ) — The City of Novi is dealing with a water main break on Thursday morning, which has caused nearby schools to close and boil water advisories to be issued.
Watch Darren Cunningham's report on the latest developments:
Video of the water main break below:
The City of Novi has announced they will be distributing water tonight.
According to the city:
Non-drinkable water is available at the Department of Public Works (26300 Lee BeGole Drive) until 9 p.m. tonight.Drinkable water is available at ITC Community Sports Park (51000 Eight Mile, at 8 Mile & Napier) until 9 p.m.
- For flushing toilets only.
- DO NOT use for drinking or bathing.
- Please bring your own containers.
- Located at the soccer concession stand in the middle of the park.
- This water is from a well and may be used for drinking and cooking.
- Please bring your own containers.
Chopper footage of the flooding and water damage
The City said on Facebook that the break is on 14 Mile Road, just west of M5. The water main break is affecting Commerce Township, Walled Lake, Wixom, and parts of Novi.
Watch our live coverage from the 8 a.m. show
According to the city, the Great Lakes Water Authority experienced a break in a 42-inch transmission main, causing a large portion of Novi to lose water pressure. Crews are currently working to isolate the break.
"I took my brother to the airport at 6 a.m., I splashed cold water on my face, and the water worked just fine," Art Vuolo, a Novi resident, told us. "But by the time I came back, I went down the 14-Mile Road, and it was fine around 7 a.m. It must have happened after then, because my phone blew up with Ring doorbell people saying 'What's going on? low water pressure?", everything from no water to low water pressure—all the way to Walled Lake, no water, so this is fairly widespread."
Watch our full interview with Art here
Citing water being unavailable, the following nearby schools have closed for the day:
- Detroit Catholic Central
- Hickory Woods Elementary
- Meadowbrook Elementary
- Mary Helen Guest
- Walled Lake Elementary
- Early Childhood Center in Walled Lake
- All schools in the Novi Community Schools system
- Thornton Creek in Northville had an early dismissal
Tiarra Braddock reports on the school closing fallout:
A spokesperson for Henry Ford Health confirmed to 7 News Detroit that the Columbus Medical Center on 12 Mile is closed because of the water main break. That spokesperson told us that Henry Ford Hospital is using bottled water, but patient care is not impacted.
Until service is restored, areas of Novi highlighted in the photo above are under a boil water advisory. A GLWA crew is on site working to isolate the issue and restore service. There is no estimated time for repairs. Novi said once water service is restored, they have to test the system and receive two negative tests 24 hours apart to lift the advisory.
Walled Lake has also issued a boil water advisory. It is recommended that water be boiled before use for residents in the impacted areas. Wixom was also under a boil water advisory for several hours, but it has since been lifted.
In West Bloomfield, the water department has also implemented an outdoor watering ban due to the break.
"If everyone can be patient with the situation, and as we work through this, we know there are communities being impacted, but we are working with them to address it," said Pete Fromm, the Director of Water Transmission at Great Lakes Water Authority. "
Web Extra: Watch our full interview with Fromm below
Stay with WXYZ.com on this developing story.
