PODCASTS:
May 12, 2026 ~ Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard gives us an update on the big water main break and discusses an arrest made over the weekend using one of their drones.
May 12, 2026 ~ Suzanne Coffey, Great Lakes Water Authority CEO, updates Jason Roe and Lloyd Jackson on the Auburn Hills water main break, stating that a refined restoration schedule is expected soon.
May 11, 2026 ~ Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett joins Ryan Ermanni to discuss the latest following a state of emergency being declared after a water main break in the township.
OAKLAND COUNTY ~ Emergency crews have replaced a segment of a 42-inch water main that broke on Sunday in Auburn Hills, with normal water pressure expected to return to homes and businesses Thursday.
According to the latest press release from the Great Lakes Water Authority, a replacement pipe piece was lowered into the break site late Monday morning, followed by filling, pressure testing, disinfecting, and flushing the isolated section of the water main. GLWA and the impacted communities are now taking steps to return the regional water system to normal operations, likely taking 24-36 hours to complete.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer placed the affected areas under a state emergency order, which took place due to a water main break at River Woods Park in Auburn Hills. The GLWA monitored the pipe for much of last week after a leak was discovered.
Water access has been disrupted or nonexistent for many residents in Auburn Hills, Orion Township, Lake Orion, and Rochester Hills. Some schools, restaurants, and businesses are temporarily closed due to the break. Residents in the affected area are being asked by the GLWA to use water for essential purposes only. The city of Auburn Hills posted a warning to local businesses on Facebook that, “Instances of water use for non-essential purposes during the State of Emergency will be investigated, and violators may be prosecuted.”
Boil water advisories have also been declared in the affected area, plus parts of southern Oakland County, though nearby Pontiac is not under this advisory.
The GLWA has already sent out water distribution trucks to the Wildwood Amphitheater in Orion Township, the Auburn Hills Department of Public Works, and Atwater Park in Lake Orion. The trucks will be handing out one-gallon containers of water to residents.
