OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. \u2013 Crews replaced a broken 42-inch water main in Auburn Hills on Monday, moving the area closer to restoring service after days of water restrictions across parts of Oakland County.<\/p>\n
The Great Lakes Water Authority said emergency crews cut through the damaged pipe about 3:15 a.m. and removed it around 4 a.m. <\/p>\n
Crews laid a gravel foundation and craned a replacement segment into River Woods Park about 11:15 a.m.<\/p>\n
Workers then began welding the steel joints to connect the new section to the existing line. <\/p>\n
Once welding is complete, the system must be filled, pressure-tested, and disinfected before normal operations can resume. GLWA said installation was targeted to be finished Monday night.<\/p>\n
Crews replaced a broken 42-inch water main in Auburn Hills on Monday, moving the area closer to restoring service after days of water restrictions across parts of Oakland County. (Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n
The break has forced residents in Orion Township, the village of Lake Orion, Rochester Hills, and Auburn Hills to limit water use to hydration and basic sanitation. <\/p>\n
GLWA urged people not to run dishwashers or washing machines and to avoid lawn watering during the emergency.<\/p>\n
In Lake Orion, residents lined up throughout the day at Atwater Park to pick up cases of bottled water as volunteers helped staff distribution sites.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo showers, no laundry, doing dishes in a bucket,\u201d said Amanda Prince, a Lake Orion resident, describing how her household is coping.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been crazy. I have pets, I have just everything,\u201d said Delaney Tunney, also of Lake Orion. \u201cI was actually supposed to do laundry yesterday, and I can\u2019t because now the laundromats around here aren\u2019t open.\u201d<\/p>\n
GLWA deployed three water trucks to distribute one-gallon containers of water daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Wildwood Amphitheater in Orion Township, the Auburn Hills Department of Public Works, and Atwater Park in Lake Orion. <\/p>\n
On Sunday, the trucks distributed about 7,000 gallons of water across the three locations, GLWA said.<\/p>\n
Sophia Bahu, one of the volunteers helping with distribution, said community members wanted to step up as the disruptions spread.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see how everybody\u2019s affected by this water crisis, and we want to be out here, make sure that we help everybody out and do our part as members of the community,\u201d Bahu said.<\/p>\n
The ripple effects have reached agencies beyond the immediate service area. <\/p>\n
HOPE Shelters, the only emergency shelter for adults in Oakland County, said some meal support has been interrupted because community groups and churches that typically provide daily meals have been constrained by the water restrictions.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt started with tonight, but we started getting the calls yesterday, and people are saying we just can\u2019t do it right now,\u201d said Elizabeth Kelly, interim executive director of HOPE Shelters. \u201cThey tend to bring cases of water with them and things like this, none of that\u2019s available.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Pontiac-based shelter is not directly affected by the water main break, but it relies on outside partners to keep meals going. <\/p>\n
Kelly said the shelter has emergency food supplies but is seeking additional organizations to host meals.<\/p>\n