By Charles Sercombe
Update: The boil water advisory was lifted on Friday morning. It is now safe to drink and cook with your tap water without first boiling it.
Also: Hamtramck Public Schools will reopen on Monday (March 6).
Keep boiling your water.
That’s the word from the agency that provides water service to Hamtramck and the metropolitan area, the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA).
The Water Authority said on Thursday (March 2) that a first round of tests came up “clear.” A second round of tests is being conducted today (Thursday).
“While these results are a sign that there is nothing wrong with the water, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is requiring the boil water advisory remain in effect throughout the originally stated 48-hour time period,” the agency said in a press release
“A second round of test results will be returned tomorrow and upon a second clear result, GLWA will recommend that the boil water advisory be lifted. GLWA will provide additional updates as soon as they are available.”
On Tuesday, the agency warned consumers in Hamtramck, Highland Park and parts of Detroit to boil water for drinking and cooking.
The 48-hour period started Tuesday evening and technically would have ended Thursday evening.
But Thursday’s press release said there will be an announcement about the water “tomorrow” – meaning Friday.
The safety of the water came in question because of what was called “an equipment malfunction at its Water Works Park Water Treatment Facility caused a temporary drop in water pressure levels,” according to a press release issued on Wednesday.
“Specifically, the plant’s technology that controls the valves that allow water to flow into the distribution system failed, which in turn caused the valves to close and the pumps to shut down when water could not get through. As a result there was a drop in pressure levels.”