DETROIT (WXYZ) — “We have just secured the furnaces and the hot water heaters from some contractors, and the companies will be on-site Monday, ” said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan last Thursday, speaking about the next steps in the recovery process after the massive water main break in southwest Detroit.
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The installation and repair of damaged furnaces and water heaters is now set to begin this Thursday. The mayor attributed the discrepancy to a slip of the tongue.
“I should’ve said this week,” Mayor Duggan said. “Those of you who covered the August ’21 floods know that the FEMA process, this was a six-month process. So, I appreciate that if I were in a hotel, I would want to know tomorrow.”
About two hundred families impacted by the water main break are sheltering in hotels and with family. Their homes are unlivable and have no heat and no running water.
“Some folks will have furnaces in this week. Some folks won’t have furnaces for four or five weeks from now. What we’re going to try to do is communicate a schedule to everybody, so they know what to expect,” Mayor Duggan said.
VIDEO: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan speaks on water main break
But basements have to be cleared and sanitized first. Two of seven emergency contracted companies are doing that work now, and more will follow. It will be more than a month before every home is restored.
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“Some of the furnaces will need ductwork that needs to be fabricated because the new furnace won’t connect to the old ductwork without fabrication. So there could be some delays that are just not in our control, but we’re certainly going to move as fast as we can,” said Gary Brown, Director of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.
Even so, some people living here are growing impatient with the city’s response.
“I do feel like it could be faster, but I do understand there’s other people, you know? I’m not the only one, there’s not only one block,” Mary Sanchez said.
“It seemed like, at first, they were moving, but I don’t know. I feel like it’s starting to slow down a little bit. It's a little aggravating, especially now that we gotta go to the laundromat and get clothes washed because appliances are going out of the basement,” Cynthia Reynolds said.
Reynolds was supposed to have her basement cleaned out and sanitized Sunday. It didn’t happen until Tuesday.
“It’s a little frustrating because I had to take two days off of work and sit around the house and just wait for nothing to happen,” Reynolds said.
“We’re doing our best to schedule and have our contractors out on time, having our cleaning crew our clearing crew out on time,” said Eva Torres, City of Detroit District 6 Manager.
“If you live here and you’ve been displaced from your home, this seems like this is an extremely slow process, but for those who are making sure that every single house is restored properly, we don’t want to rush and take shortcuts,” Mayor Duggan said.
