(WXYZ) — Officials have lifted the water usage restrictions in parts of Oakland County and pressure has returned to normal levels following a massive water main break and repairs in Auburn Hills.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite's video report:
Watch Ryan Marshall's video report
At a press conference inside the Orion Township water tower Wednesday, Great Lakes Water Authority CEO Sue Coffey said that water is flowing with typical operations through a new 42-inch main pipe that was installed earlier this week in Auburn Hills.
"The community's connections are open," Coffey said.
Watch this afternoon's press conference:
Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett said that means residents in Orion Township, the Village of Lake Orion, northern Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills can now use water without restrictions.
That means residents can shower, do laundry, wash dishes, etc. However, they are reminding people to not drink the water yet, as testing and the flushing of the water still needs to be completed. Officials expect boil water advisories in Orion Township, Lake Orion, Rochester Hills and Auburn Hills to last through the weekend.
Water distribution stations will remain open in those areas until the water is safe to drink, Barnett added.
On Tuesday, officials held a press conference saying that the 42-inch pipe was officially fixed and pressurized, and the new section held. Then, it was up to the communities to execute the plan to return the system to normal functioning operations, which was completed Wednesday.
“Praise Jesus, that’s all we can say," restaurant owner and Lake Orion resident Scott Taylor said.
Watch below: New water pipe welded into place in Auburn Hills
Barnett said that they need volunteers at least through the weekend to help others at water distribution sites and other services. You can learn more here: Sign up to volunteer at one of our water distribution sites. Sign up to volunteer a service.
There are also three hydration stations that will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. They are:
Wildwood Amphitheater
2700 Joslyn Court
Lake Orion, MI 48360
NOTE: PLEASE ENTER OFF OF WALDON AND EXIT OFF OF JOSLYN
Village of Lake OrionAtwater Park
426 Atwater Street
Lake Orion, MI 48362
Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills Department of Public Works
1500 Brown Road
Auburn Hills, MI 48326
The original repair timeline had been estimated at up to two weeks. Barnett credited collaboration with surrounding municipalities and residents voluntarily restricting their water use during the critical repair window for the accelerated turnaround.
"We were told the worst case scenario and that's what we told you Sunday morning, cause that's what we had to tell you, we had to be clear and honest with you on what to expect. But every single day this amazing team outperformed every single estimate they gave us," Barnett said.
Orion Township resident Bob Smith said the initial outlook was alarming for many in the community.
"When it first started it was kind of worst case scenario but it scared a lot of people," Smith said.
Smith said the response from officials impressed the community.
"They've done an awesome job and we're really proud of the way everybody's stepped up taking care of everything," he added.
