By Kristyne E. Demske
C & G Staff Writer

SHELBY TOWNSHIP/ROCHESTER — Emergency water main work on Dequindre Road at the border of Oakland and Macomb counties dropped water pressure for some residents and had many boiling water up until the holiday weekend.

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department had to conduct emergency work on a 12-mile stretch of main along Dequindre Road, from M-59 to 32 Mile Road, from 7 p.m. July 1 to 7 a.m. July 2, which also closed down Dequindre, from South Boulevard to Auburn Road, to allow access to the repair site.

“(A) leak was reported to us by the Oakland County Road Commission last Thursday (June 25),” said George Ellenwood, spokesman for DWSD. He said they had planned to make the repairs over the June 27 weekend but “we were asked to delay it so that the communities could be fully prepared and coordinate what they were going to do.”

The repairs were expected to directly impact water pressure in Washington, Shelby, Macomb, Chesterfield, Harrison and Lenox townships, Rochester Hills, the Village of New Haven, a portion of Romeo and sections of the city of Rochester. While some experienced no change in pressure, others lost their water service completely until about noon July 2.

And while DWSD did not issue any boil-water alerts, several communities told their residents to boil water just to be safe.

Shelby Township told all residents to start boiling water for human consumption — which includes brushing teeth and washing food — starting at 7 p.m. July 1. The alert was lifted the morning of July 3.

“Not everybody may be without pressure but, in a precautionary measure, we want to make sure that everybody’s got safe water to drink,” said Dave Miller, assistant director of the Shelby Township Department of Public Works, before the work commenced.

He said state requirements dictate that two separate samples — which each take two days to be fully tested — have to be taken if there is a total loss of water pressure.

The city of Rochester issued a partial boil-water alert as well, during the same time period as Shelby Township, since the eastern portion of the city gets its water from the township.

Rochester City Manager Jaymes Vettraino said only half of the city — east of Letica Drive, plus Village Green Apartments and Churchill Circle — was affected by the boil-water alert. Like Shelby’s, Rochester’s boil-water alert was lifted July 3.

“We also think that it’s good to be very conservative in matters of drinking water,” he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Kristyne E. Demske at kdemske@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1041.