DETROIT (WWJ) – As temperatures have plummeted in Detroit, the city’s Water and Sewerage Department says there have been dozens of water main breaks in recent weeks.
The DWSD said there were 75 active water main breaks, as of Wednesday afternoon.
Since early January, the city has seen about 150 breaks and they’ve been repairing 3-10 per day, depending on severity and staffing availability. A department spokesman told MLive they expect the total number of breaks in January to be the highest it has been in three years.
A department spokesman says water main breaks are typical this time of year when temperatures drop to around 20 degrees or below, but the problems have started earlier than previous years, when most breaks were reported in February.
Since Sunday, temps in Detroit have been consistently below freezing, reaching no higher than 27 degrees. Overnight temperatures have dipped into the low teens and single digits.
The department says the priority for repairs is given to the breaks causing the most water service outages. Their most important job is delivering safe, clean drinking water to customers, Director Gary Brown said earlier this week.
The city has hired more contractors and shifted staffing resources to help with the repairs.
The priority for repairs is given to those breaks causing the most water service outages. The city has hired more contractors and shifted staffing resources to help with the repairs.
The AccuWeather forecast says temperatures in Detroit are expected to stay below 30 degrees until at least the middle of next week. Friday's high is forecast to be just 19 degrees, while the low could drop below zero.
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