Auburn Hills Water Main Break State of Emergency

Auburn Hills Declares State of Emergency After Catastrophic Water Main Break

A massive water main break struck Auburn Hills, Michigan, early Sunday morning. The break occurred around 1:30 a.m. inside River Woods Park. The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) confirmed the failure involved a 42-inch transmission line. The City of Auburn Hills formally declared a State of Emergency in response.

The broken main sits along Squirrel Road, south of M-59. River Woods Park closed immediately after the incident. The park will remain closed until GLWA completes all necessary repairs. Officials warn residents to prepare for a lengthy disruption to water service.

GLWA CEO Susan Coffey addressed questions about the pipe’s age. She confirmed crews installed the main in 1975. The pipe carried a 100-year expected lifespan. Coffey said it remains unclear why the main failed, and crews will know more once they excavate down to the pipe.

Multiple Communities Face Severe Water Restrictions

The break immediately impacted several surrounding communities. Residents in Orion Township, Lake Orion, Rochester Hills, and Auburn Hills must restrict water use. Officials ask residents to limit usage to only essential needs. Those essentials include hydration, food preparation, and basic sanitation.

Residents must not run dishwashers or washing machines. Watering lawns also falls under the restriction. Officials stress that every drop of water counts. The affected communities face a serious shortage until crews complete repairs.

Orion Township, Lake Orion, and northern Auburn Hills stopped receiving water from GLWA after the break. Officials warned those areas could lose water entirely within hours. The city of Auburn Hills noted that areas north of Taylor Road currently draw water from a municipal tower. However, officials cautioned that the tower supply may not last until repairs finish.

Boil Water Advisory Covers Large Portions of Auburn Hills

GLWA and city officials issued a mandatory boil water advisory. The advisory covers all Auburn Hills residents north of Cross Creek Parkway and University Drive. Residents and water users in that zone must not drink tap water without boiling it first. The northwest portion of Auburn Hills also falls under the advisory.

Rochester Hills now operates under its own boil water advisory as well. Officials have released a Rochester Hills boil water advisory map for residents to check their status. Anyone uncertain about their location should contact local authorities. Boiling water before consumption remains critical for public health.

Auburn Hills officials also noted that areas south of Taylor Road face restrictions. Alternative resources are supplying water to those southern areas. Despite that support, residents south of Taylor Road must still treat water use as an emergency-only matter. Officials urge all residents to conserve every available drop.

Residents Should Prepare for a Minimum Two-Week Outage

GLWA offered a sobering timeline for affected residents. The authority stated there is no firm estimate for when water service will return. However, officials urge all residents and businesses to prepare for a minimum of 14 days without normal water service. The scale of this repair makes a quick fix impossible.

Repairing a 42-inch transmission line requires significant excavation. Specialized equipment must reach the buried pipe. Crews need time to fully assess the damage before repairs can begin. The process will take considerable time and resources.

GLWA explained the difficult position it faced before the break occurred. The authority had been monitoring a leak in the same main prior to the full break. Immediately isolating the leak would have cut water to all of Orion Township and parts of Auburn Hills within hours. GLWA chose to work on rerouting supply first to protect residents.

GLWA Worked to Prevent the Break Before It Happened

The authority released a statement explaining its pre-break efforts. GLWA wrote that it identified the leak and began working with communities to reroute water. The goal was to avoid a sudden and total loss of supply. Despite those intensive efforts, the main broke before crews completed the rerouting.

“Despite our best efforts, the water main broke before the rerouting could be completed,” GLWA stated in a press release. The authority emphasized it had been working diligently with local communities. Crews labored around the clock in the days leading up to the break. The failure ultimately proved unavoidable.

GLWA said that closing the necessary valves required shutting down service in neighboring townships. Crews identified those valves when the main first began leaking. The shutdown allowed repair teams to safely access the damaged section. Work on isolating the break and beginning repairs is now underway.

Water Trucks Deployed to Impacted Neighborhoods

GLWA moved quickly to provide emergency water supplies to affected communities. The authority dispatched water trucks to multiple locations across the region. Residents can access clean water at the following sites:

Orion Township – Wildwood Amphitheater, 2700 Joslyn Court
Auburn Hills – Auburn Hills Department of Public Works, 1500 Brown Road
Lake Orion – Atwater Park, 426 Atwater Street

GLWA confirmed the trucks will remain available for as long as the water outage continues. Officials encourage affected residents to use these distribution points promptly. Families should collect water for drinking, cooking, and sanitation needs. The trucks represent a critical lifeline during the extended outage period.

Officials Urge Residents to Stay Informed

Auburn Hills Police Department posted urgent guidance on its official Facebook page. Officers directed residents to follow all water restriction orders immediately. The department stressed that the situation remains active and developing. Residents should monitor official channels for the latest updates.

City officials confirmed that River Woods Park will stay closed throughout the repair period. The park closure protects both crews working on the main and the public. GLWA crews need clear access to the site at all times. Residents should avoid the area entirely until officials lift the closure.

Auburn Hills officials continue to coordinate closely with GLWA and neighboring municipalities. The State of Emergency declaration enables the city to access additional resources and support. Local authorities ask for patience and cooperation from all residents during this challenging period. Updates will follow as the situation develops.