HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Highland Park residents woke up this weekend to a boil water advisory. Due to the low water pressure, residents are being urged to boil the water and let it cool before any form of usage.
But this is not the first time a similar advisory was issued earlier this month.
Related: Water distribution in Highland Park will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Justice Center, located at 13233 Hamilton Ave. Please approach the Tyler Street side of the building for service. Have your ID readily available for a quick check to ensure a smooth distribution process. Distribution will conclude at 12:00 PM and resume at 3:00 PM, continuing until all water has been distributed.
Thank you for your cooperation.
7 News Detroit reporter Faraz Javed is raising the voice of residents who are trying to mitigate the challenges and trying to understand the reason behind the problem.
It's the first day back from spring break at the George Washington Carver Academy in Highland Park. Superintendent Sylvia Brown was alerted Sunday about the city's boil water advisory that came into effect Saturday afternoon.
"Our team came in at 5 am, began boiling water. We decided to do pizza today, so that we would have a limited amount of items that we need to wash. In addition to that, we purchased bottled water. So that we can give it to every classroom. We had it in the kitchen," said Brown.
The pre-K to 8th-grade school serves around 415 students. Brown says that because of the current situation, any water usage within the city limits must be boiled and cooled, including water for classroom hand-washing stations.
"This, again, is not a sustainable long-term plan. And this is if they need to rinse, so we are using hand sanitizers," said Brown.
"Now all this will increase your cost, wouldn't it?" asked Faraz.
"Absolutely, none of these are refundable, none of these are being sponsored," said Brown.
Brown says canceling school at the last minute would have burdened the parents.
"How many days can you actually continue like this?" asked Faraz.
"3 is comfortable. If we have to do a long term, we will have to go virtual school," said Brown.
However, outside of the school, residents like Sonia are also struggling.
"Some people have memberships, so they can go to the gym and take a shower. What about the ones that don't have membership? The seniors. I mean, they are not able to get out, a lot of them. So, I have they have a plan," said Sonia.
That's why the city's Mayor, Glenda McDonald, and Water Director, Damon Garrett, held a press conference to help understand the problem.
VIDEO: Highland Park mayor & water director speak on boil water advisories
"It's the south of Davison, west and east quadrants is where we are experiencing the lowest water pressure. And right now, we believe, it's mainly because this valve is being closed. And that may also have caused some leaks and breaks in this area," said Garrett.
Garrett says the city's 115-year-old water main infrastructure is being upgraded, and since this problem couldn't be anticipated, the solution will roll out in phases that could take up to 4 days.
"So, as this project continues, is there a chance there could be another boil water advisory?" asked Faraz.
"There could be," said Garrett.
"I know it's very inconvenient. We've had to close City Hall. Again, I live in the same area, we never expected that we would have 4 water alerts back-to-back," said Mayor McDonald.
Garrett also urges residents to contact the water department's customer service center if they have an issue with their water bill. Meanwhile, Mayor McDonald says the City Hall will open on Tuesday. Also, a water distribution station will be set up Tuesday morning at the Highland Park Police Department in Hamilton.
