(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.
Video of the water main break below:
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.
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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
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.
"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
Walled Lake has also issued a boil water advisory:
Stay with WXYZ.com on this developing story.
