Local News

After a water main break at the Great Lakes Water Authority’s (GLWA) Metcalf Road plant on Saturday, the break has been isolated and repairs are underway.

After the break, areas around the site were flooded, and today, GLWA reported that all water was removed from the site so engineers can now begin to inspect the damaged pipe. A replacement pipe arrived yesterday.

The Boil Water Advisory has been lifted in Chesterfield Township, Lenox Township, Mayfield Township, Macomb Township, and the Village of New Haven, but there are still 133,000 people affected by low to no water pressure.

Suzanne R. Coffey, GLWA Chief Executive Officer, said, “GLWA understands the real-life impact that this water main break is having on the hundreds of thousands of people in the affected communities and we truly appreciate their patience and understanding as we work to implement the necessary repairs. I am grateful for the GLWA team who has been working tirelessly to restore water pressure to all communities and working as quickly as possible to restore service.”

GLWA is projecting 2 weeks for service to be fully restored. They project one week to repair the damaged pipeline and one week to test the water for safety.

The cause of the water main break is under investigation, and GLWA will notify affected communities when the Boil Water Advisory is lifted.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Governor Whitmer wants to remind Michigan families to sign their 4-year-olds up for free preschool programs through the Great Start Readiness Program. The deadline to register for programs in St. Clair County is September 1, 2022.

Locally, families can apply for multiple early childhood education programs by filling out one application for their children who are infants up to age 5.

The application covers admission to Early Head Start, for expectant mothers and kids under 3; Head Start, for 3 or 4-year-olds; and the Great Start Readiness Program, for 4-year-olds.  All programs are state-funded and free for families.

Whitmer said, “Access to high-quality preschool makes a huge difference for kids, increasing their kindergarten readiness, putting them on track for 3rd grade reading proficiency, and boosting eventual high school graduation rates.”

Families who apply for early childhood education programs in St. Clair County should first complete the application on St. Clair County RESA’s website <HERE>.  Then they will be contacted to complete the eligibility and verification process.

Kids must have a health appraisal completed by their physician, along with proof of residency, income, and vaccination.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Port Huron’s social district is a designated, walkable area where alcoholic beverages can be purchased from participating restaurants and then carried around inside its boundaries, and James Freed, Port Huron City Manager, said it’s “having a remarkable economic impact on our downtown.”

The social district was established in August of 2020, and almost 23,000 drinks have been sold since the first restaurant started participating in September of 2020.

When a customer purchases a drink from a participating restaurant and wants to take advantage of the social district, their drink comes in a disposable cup with a social district sticker. Revenue from the social district comes from sticker sales, and there have been $11,491 worth of stickers sold since the program started.

Participating restaurants in Port Huron’s social district are Casey’s, CityFlats, Lynch’s Irish Tavern, Raven Café, Vintage Tavern, and Wing’s Etc. Sperry’s Moviehouse is in the process of being added to the list.

Freed said Port Huron’s social district helps “support more robust entertainment opportunities downtown.”

“We are glad folks are using the district responsibility,” he said. “We have had no issues.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) is working to repair a water main break that affects water service to 23 communities in Southeast Michigan. An estimated 935,000 people live in affected areas, and a boil water advisory is in effect for residents in 6 Michigan counties.

According to a press release from GLWA, the break happened in a 120-inch transmission main that “is the largest in the regional water distribution system.”

Out of an abundance of caution, GLWA issued a boil water advisory for the following communities:

• The Village of Almont
• City of Auburn Hills
• Bruce Township
• Burtchville Township
• Chesterfield Township
• Clinton Township
• City of Flint
• Flint Township
• City of Imlay City
• City of Lapeer
• Lenox Township
• Macomb Township
• Mayfield Township
• Village of New Haven
• Orion Township
• City of Pontiac
• City of Rochester
• City of Rochester Hills
• Shelby Township
• City of Sterling Heights
• City of Troy
• City of Utica
• Washington Township

The details of the boil water advisory include:

• Residents must bring all water to a boil for at least one minute and
  then let it cool before using.
• Boiled, bottled or disinfected water should be used for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and preparing food until further notice

Burtchville Township residents are still completely without water. Water for drinking and cooking is available at Fort Gratiot Fire Department, and residents just need to bring their own containers.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand