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Residents may see 'discolored' water in parts of Oakland County

Posted at 11:24 AM, Jan 16, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-18 09:13:13-05

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (WXYZ) — Residents in parts of Oakland County may see "discolored" water during January through February, according to county officials.

Due to the Great Lakes Water Authority testing a water main transmission, customers in Commerce Township, Farmington Hills and Walled Lake could experience "discolored" water.

The water main being tested is the same one that ruptured in Oct. 2017 causing 300,000 Oakland County customers to go without water for a week, officials say.

Testing will be conducted Wednesday, Jan. 18 and Tuesday, Jan. 29.

Officials released this video about the testing:

If you experience brown or cloudy water:

  • Do not use your hot water to prevent the rusty discolored water from entering your hot water tank;
  • At least once every hour, check your cold water for discoloration by turning on a cold water tap for a few minutes;

o Next, fill a white cup with water and look to see if it is still discolored.o If it is still discolored repeat this process every hour until it runs clear. It may take
between one and eight hours for your water returns to normal.

  • Once your water is clear, turn on all the cold water taps in your home for at least five minutes.
  • Once your cold water runs clear, you can then use your hot and cold water for cooking, drinking, washing clothes, etc.
  • Contact your local water department if the rusty water persists.
  • If you should happen to use your hot water during the time your cold water was discolored, you will need to flush your hot water tank. Instructions can be found here:

o If your laundry is stained from rusty or discolored water, a rust remover product can be used if the laundry was not dried using heat from a dryer. You can try the techniques here.