GLWA advisory warns pumps could be impacted by power issues

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2 days ago

The Brief
A new GLWA advisory says pumps might be impacted by power issues.
It included guidelines for removing valuables from the basement.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - There are new flooding concerns after the Great Lakes Water Authority revealed power problems that might compromise it's' pumping system.
The backstory
"I still have a very clear memory of going to my basement, opening the door - looking down the stairs and seeing five feet of water and simply closing the door because I could not believe what was going on," Allison Heeres.
Heeres, a Jefferson Chalmers resident, said she does not want a repeat of history.
"I saw somebody go by my porch in a canoe in the middle of the night while I sat there and worried about what was happening here," she said.
A new advisory from the Great Lakes Water Authority is asking residents to remove valuables from basements and a request that homeowners do not run washing machines and dishwashers during heavy rain.
That message comes with more rain in the forecast.
GLWA says it is operating out of an abundance of caution in the unlikely event of a failure.
" I just got a new washer and dryer so after this announcement, I'm going to make sure that it's high enough up," she said. "A lot of people in the neighborhood have to make sure that they can address the issue at hand."
Heeres is also the owner of Coriander Kitchen and Farm Restaurant in the same neighborhood.
Like many in the area, she is concerned about ongoing DTE Energy power problems impacting GLWA's Water Resource Recovery Facility and pumping stations.
The restaurant doesn't have a basement but many homes in the area do.
"Myself, all my neighbors, everyone, we lost everything in our basement," she said. "People are talking about 'Oh you know what are you gonna do now?' I actually don't have that much to move out of my basement because I lost everything the first time and I just got out of the habit of storing things down there, but that's not awesome."
GLWA updated the situation in a statement to FOX 2 that reads:
"The Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) remains fully functional, and GLWA continues to stay in communication with DTE Energy as they repair their equipment and work to restore full triple power redundancy to the facility. GLWA successfully weathered last night's storms and is currently dewatering the system.
"Furthermore, GLWA continues to develop response strategies for the unlikely event of a complete outage at the WRRF. Given the current forecast and system levels, GLWA is planning to implement its response measures to mitigate, to the extent possible, negative impacts on the regional system service area."
Heeres is hoping for the best especially long term."Living in Jefferson Chalmers we live within the canals, within the water systems and it seems like between the statewide authorities, the local authorities and the utilities, there doesn't seem to be enough collaboration or insight in order to get us past all of these challenges that we are going to be continuing to face due to global climate change," she said.GLWA says it is acting out of an abundance of caution - saying while a total failure is unlikely. They can't predict what parts of the system will be affected, as that would depend on real time weather patterns.
The Source
Information for this report is from a GLWA advisory, previous reports, and an interview with a Jefferson Chalmers resident and business owner.