NOVI, Mich. (WXYZ) — The City of Novi said that water pressure should be returning for residents following a massive 42-inch water main break on Thursday.
In a post on Friday morning, officials said the Great Lakes Water Authority has successfully isolated the break, and water pressure should be improving, "(though it may not yet be at full strength and could fluctuate due to the demand on the system, especially this morning)."
Crews have been working throughout the night to repair the critical infrastructure.
Novi officials said a boil water advisory remains in place for residents, and an outdoor water use restriction is in place.
"The system is stable, but it’s a good idea to fill your bathtub or other containers with water as a backup supply in case service is interrupted again," officials said on Facebook.
The break has forced residents like John Mehl to line up at ITC Community Sports Park with pots, coolers and whatever containers they can find to collect clean water.
Watch Christiana Ford's video report below:
"There's absolutely no flow where I'm at," Mehl said. "Biggest issue is flushing the toilets. I got plenty of drinking water but nothing to flush the toilets with."
The water emergency has disrupted daily routines across the affected communities.
"Fortunately, I had the day off today. I had to cancel a lot of stuff," Novi resident Tony Ishibashi said.
Marc Jappaya says the timing couldn't have been worse for his young daughters. He's grateful he got up early.
"Today was picture day at school. They were in the middle of getting ready, my wife was in the middle of doing their hair," Jappaya said.
Previous coverage: Schools close after water main break in Novi; boil water advisories issued
Local businesses are also trying to adapt. Sharon Juergens, owner of Diamond Jim Brady's Bistro Bar, says her restaurant will stay open as long as they maintain water pressure, implementing emergency protocols they've used before.
"It's probably happened two or tjree times in the past year I would say and sometimes, the water advisory is a few hours," Juergens said.
The restaurant is taking reservations and they've also been in communication with the health department.
"In the meantime, we have to buy ice, buy canned beverages, bottled water. We boil the water to wash all of our produce," Juergens said.
Related coverage: Novi water main break forces school closures, threatens homecoming weekend activities
The Great Lakes Water Authority reports progress in its repair efforts, having successfully shut six of the seven valves needed to move to the next phase of repairs.
"There's always that one that's giving us trouble and so now... we're designing a different way in order to get the isolation for that particular valve," said Cheryl Porter, chief operating officer of GLWA.
Once all valves are closed, crews can safely begin repairs on the broken main. However, Porter says the timeline remains uncertain until excavation begins.
Despite the inconvenience, residents like Jappaya remain understanding of the situation.
"I think everybody understands stuff happens. Everybody's safe, nobody got hurt, that's what matters, right. It's an inconvenience. It sounds like a lot of people are working around the clock to fix this thing, so we appreciate them," Jappaya said.
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