Latest news with #GreatLakesWaterAuthority
CBS News
12 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
Michigan Matters: Keeping our region's water system and nation safe
The Great Lakes Water Authority is a utility overseeing water and wastewater for four million residents, with much going on as Sue Coffey, CEO, and Bill Wolfson, Deputy CEO, appear on Michigan Matters to talk about it. The utility's aging infrastructure, which is more than 100 years old in some cases, is discussed, as well as how to pay for maintenance and much-needed upgrades. They also discuss how heavy rains have been causing issues, too. Then, Ian Pain, CEO of RENK America; Traci Webb, Director of Business Development and Marketing at GS Engineering; and Eric Patton, NDIA Michigan chapter board member, event deputy chair of GVSETS and president of Aries Technology, talk about military ground defense vehicles and Michigan connections. They also talked about a conference in Metro Detroit last week where 2,700 leaders from the military, business and education attended to network and learn more about the defense industry. The defense industry is a $30 billion-a-year sector in Michigan. (Watch Michigan Matters at its new time: 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit and 9:30 a.m. Sundays on CW Detroit 50 WKBD). (Carol Cain is the 13-time Emmy-winning senior producer and host of Michigan Matters).
CBS News
17 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Taskforce investigating cause of summer water main breaks in Macomb County
Frequent water main breaks have been a constant issue for residents in areas such as Sterling Heights, Madison Heights and Fraser this summer. It's happening at the same time that the Great Lakes Water Authority's treatment facility serving those areas is experiencing some issues. The northeast water plant has been experiencing interruptions all summer, and city leaders say this is where their water main break issues are starting. Great Lakes Water Authority officials met with city officials from Fraser, Madison Heights and Sterling Heights and confirmed that they're investigating the cause of the water main breaks with DTE and the impacted communities. "Madison Heights has had over 64 water main breaks since June 18. No one really understands the root cause of why the water main breaks are occurring, so they are all hands on deck," said Madison Heights city manager Melissa Marsh. Marsh says she feels it all starts with the issues at the Northeast water plant. "When there's interruptions at this service center, it stops the flow of water from 70 pounds of pressure. It pushes it out at almost 100 pounds of pressure, and it comes through and just causes water main breaks in several surrounding areas," she said. Marsh says the city's pipes are fine and its water is safe, but each repair takes a toll on its budget. "We have an extremely tight budget, and 64 water main breaks, of course, not only cause the crew to be working 24 hours to get that fixed, but we also have to pay overtime, we have disruptions in our water service, it's disruptive to our residents," Marsh said. She says she has questions about whether the Great Lakes Water Authority or DTE will reimburse them for these repairs once the investigation is over, but in the meantime, they'll continue to have weekly meetings with both providers until they confirm what's causing all these water main breaks.
CBS News
30-07-2025
- CBS News
Michigan State Police investigating potential cyber breach at Detroit water plant
Michigan State Police and the Great Lakes Water Authority are investigating a potential breach of a monitoring and reporting system at one of the agency's water treatment facilities in Detroit. "At no time was water quality at the plant compromised," said GLWA in a statement issued Wednesday about the incident. The affected equipment is at the Northeast Water Treatment Plant on Eight Mile Road, which was previously part of the Detroit water system. The facility can handle about 300 million gallons a day, the GWLA website says. GLWA is a regional agency handling water and wastewater utilities for communities in southeast Michigan, primarily those in Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties. The agency runs a total of five water treatment plant facilities and one wastewater treatment plant. Michigan State Police notified GWLA Sunday evening "of a potential attempt to breach a standalone monitoring/reporting system at its Northeast Water Treatment Plant, which is not connected to any water treatment processes or operations at the plant," the agency said. "Out of an abundance of caution, GLWA put additional security protocols in place for network traffic at the Northeast Water Treatment Plant." The investigation into the system's breach is continuing, and GLWA said it is working with "the appropriate state and federal law enforcement cyber units" on the case.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
GLWA: Don't use dishwashers or washing machines during heavy rain
The Brief A Flood Watch has been issued for Metro Detroit for Wednesday night into Thursday. GLWA said the predicted rainfall amount is within the design capacity of the regional system, but is still encouraging people to take precautions. Don't run your dishwasher or washing machine during heavy rain because it could overwhelm the sewer system. DETROIT (FOX 2) - With a Flood Watch issued for all of Metro Detroit later Wednesday and 1-2 inches of rain in the forecast, residents are urged to prepare for possible flooding. The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) said Tuesday that the predicted rainfall amount is within the design capacity of the regional system, which is dry after last weekend's rain. Still, GLWA issued guidance to residents just in case. GLWA said that people who live in low-lying areas should remove valuables from their basement. They should also do so if they have experienced flooding before. Additionally, during the heavy rain, people are asked not to run dishwashers or washing machines. During rainstorms, this extra water can overwhelm the system and lead to flooding since many communities are part of a combined sewer system. In a combined system, wastewater and stormwater both flow through the same pipes, known as gray infrastructure, and go to a wastewater treatment plant. This means that during periods of intense rain, the system can get overwhelmed and flood roads and basements. The Flood Watch will be in effect for Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw, Wayne, St. Clair County, and Macomb counties. The National Weather Service said there is a threat of rivers, creeks, and streams flooding. There could also be flash flooding in areas with poor drainage.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
SW Detroit residents must report water main break flood damage by April 3, officials say
Residents whose homes, cars or possessions were damaged in the Feb. 17 water main break in southwest Detroit are being asked to act swiftly if they want the city and utility agencies to reimburse any of their losses. Officials are calling for affected residents to file notices of claims by April 3 with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. The 54-inch water transmission main break flooded basements, left cars trapped in frozen waves of ice, covered belongings in mud, and caused evacuations by rafts in the area of Beard and Rowan streets in a part of the city with just under 400 homes. The city and its partner in water administration, the Great Lakes Water Authority, have since pledged to cover all damages not covered by insurance. City-sent crews have been cleaning the affected basements, with some spaces reported to be people's full living areas. Crews also have been replacing furnaces and hot water heaters so that residents can return home. More: Detroit asking water main flood victims to sign a waiver. We had 2 lawyers take a look. More: Detroit water main break: The most-needed items you can donate to help flood victims As of Sunday night, 16 households were still in city-covered hotels, said Bryan Peckinpaugh, public affairs director for the water department. That's down from a height of 206 households in the aftermath. Officials chose the claims deadline by looking at a Michigan law for sewage backups and overflows, Peckinpaugh said. The Feb. 17 flooding was not sewage, per officials, but the law being used as guidance requires residents to make claims in writing within 45 days of when damage should have been discovered after a sewer backup or overflow. April 3 is 45 days after the water main break. Residents can file a notice of claim on the city's water department webpage at to meet the April 3 deadline. All damages and losses can be included in a singular claim. No claims need to be filed through the Great Lakes Water Authority. The form is available in both Spanish and English, and anyone who needs help filling out the form is asked to call 313-774-5261. That phone number has served as the city hotline for all water main flood-related concerns and calls for help. Peckinpaugh said it's key that a good description of the damage be provided in the notice of claim, along with contact information and the address where the damage occurred. Additionally, receipts and documentation should be included. If it is needed after an initial notice of claim is filed, residents can contact the city's third-party administrator, Mackinaw Administrators, at 877-311-3664 or DWSD@ to add more to the claim, add receipts, otherwise update the filing or check on the status of the case, Peckinpaugh said. Eventually, there will be a cut-off date at which point residents can no longer add to claims, but Peckinpaugh said the option to update claims should be available through April. He did say, however, that residents with damage to their cars should act fast and include those in claim forms right away. The city is prioritizing settlements for damaged vehicles and is expected to start settling those claims for residents in the next seven or 10 days, Peckinpaugh said Monday. More: Southwest Detroit residents say water main break 'was like a river going by' More: Frustration mounts for southwest Detroit residents over a month after water main break 'We know that lack of transportation is a burden,' he said. 'They've already been burdened by this disaster, so cars are being prioritized.' The process after filing a notice of claim, according to the city, is: The resident who filed will receive an email or letter acknowledging the claim and giving them a claim number within about 14 days of filing. Mackinaw Administrators will then process the claim. They will review documents, look at photos, and possibly visit the property. This process could take 45 to 60 days 'depending on the responsiveness of the claimant' with the administrators reaching out to the resident as needed for additional information. Mackinaw Administrators will determine the amount of money that should be paid for the damage. If the resident agrees to the amount, they will be required to sign a waiver releasing the city from liability before they receive the settlement. "If they decline the offer, it is up to them if they want to pursue legal action," Peckinpaugh said in a follow-up email. Two lawyers previously told the Free Press that there is a high bar in court to overcome governmental immunity. Officials have been knocking on doors, going to hotels and working with translators to pass along information and tell residents about the notice of claim deadline, Peckinpaugh said. They'll be at it again this weekend, though it's believed most notices of claims have already been filed. So far, 321 such claims have been filed by individual households, Peckinpaugh said. The cost for all the needs and fixes following the break will probably be around $8 million to $10 million, Detroit Water and Sewerage Department Director Gary Brown previously said. Asked at news conferences about everything from insurance deductibles to lost wages to cleaning supplies for those who did their own cleaning after the break, officials have told residents to include everything on their claim forms and said officials will work to make residents whole. Along with filing the notice of claim, Mayor Mike Duggan also previously said residents with insurance should be sure to contact their insurance company, too. Staff writer Nour Rahal contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Deadline nears to claim damage from southwest Detroit water main break
