FLINT, Mich.—Following an early morning emergency alert from the City of Flint’s primary water source, the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), Flint Department of Public Works staff immediately connected to the Cedar Street Reservoir, and made the transition to the Genesee County Drain Commission (GCDC) secondary water supply line. The City of Flint is now receiving 100% of its water from the GCDC pipeline until further notice. The City’s water quality is unaffected by this change.
According to City of Flint Director of Public Works Mike Brown, staff were able to shut down the primary GLWA pipeline before pressure dropped below 20 psi. This means that residents do not need to boil water.
“It’s a long line from Imlay City to Flint,” Brown said. “Our staff took action immediately to prevent our city’s water quality from being affected.”
Mayor Sheldon Neeley assures residents that the City was prepared for this emergency, and the new water infrastructure plan is working.
“Thanks to the completion of the secondary GCDC pipeline, our water quality is not affected by the GLWA’s major break this morning,” Neeley said. “My administration has worked diligently over the past two years to ensure that Flint’s water system is protected from malfunctions like these that otherwise would have affected water quality. I want to reassure residents that our city woke up this morning to safe water, with sound and thoughtfully planned infrastructure.”
The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) confirmed a break on the 120″ main coming out of the Lake Huron Water Treatment Plant, impacting several communities. The GLWA will be out of service until further notice.
While other communities on the GLWA water pipeline had and/or have boil water advisories in effect, the City of Flint is not affected due to the secondary GCDC line. Whenever a water system loses pressure for any significant length of time, precautionary measures are recommended, since a loss of pressure can lead to bacterial contamination in the water system. By activating the secondary GCDC system, the City avoided a drop in water pressure. Although GLWA initially included the City of Flint in a boil water notice out of an abundance of caution, the City of Flint has been removed from the notice.
Mayor Neeley encourages residents to watch this video explaining the City of Flint’s new water infrastructure.
