Madison Heights residents frustrated after multiple water main breaks
Crews in Madison Heights are continuing to work around the clock to restore water service for residents and businesses impacted by nearly a dozen water main breaks throughout the city on Wednesday.
Water main breaks occurred in the areas of:
• 25305 John R
• 28731 Dequindre
• 32295 Stephenson
• 29333 Stephenson
• 1604 Elliott
• 923 West Farnum
• 32500 North Avis
• 1255 Jenifer
• 26630 Lenox
"I didn't get any calls or any texts when it's going to be coming back," said Madison Heights resident Ashrafal Zabir.
"There's already some frustrations around having to prepare for something like this," added Madison Heights resident Jasper Wurster. "I would not want this to push me over the edge as far as trying to find another location if needed."
Madison Heights Mayor Roslyn Grafstein issued the following statement regarding the water main breaks:
We were informed of an equipment issue at the North Service Center, GLWA's pump station located at Hall Road and Dequindre. When problems like this occur, they can trigger a sudden spike in water pressure, a phenomenon known as a "water hammer" or, technically, a hydraulic transient.
This directly impacts the Dequindre transmission main, which supplies water to Madison Heights. In this instance, our system experienced a sudden surge in water pressure, well over 100 PSI, while our infrastructure is designed to handle normal levels of 60 to 70 PSI. Unfortunately, that kind of pressure is more than our water mains can tolerate, which led to multiple breaks occurring at the same time.
Our public works team is working to repair the breaks and prevent future occurrences. The city appreciates everyone's patience as our crews work to restore service.
CBS News Detroit has reached out to the Great Lakes Water Authority for comment.
In the meantime, Grafstein says crews will continue working around the clock to repair water service, but does not have a timeline of when residents can expect the repairs to be completed.