By Isabelle Tavares, Planet Detroit
This article was republished with permission from Planet Detroit. Sign up for Planet Detroit’s weekly newsletter here.
Manuel Nolasco stood in frigid air outside his flooded Southwest Detroit home early Tuesday, chipping away at thick ice chunks that had frozen his car wheels in place.
His daughter was packing their belongings for a hotel stay. They’re one of many families displaced after a 54-inch water main rupture flooded streets and several hundred homes with frigid water early Monday morning.
“The pipe exploded and released a lot of water,” he said, distraught. “It’s so cold and everything is ruined.”
Down the street, Juan Del Angel, 75, experienced minimal flooding, though his furnace broke, and he said he did not have money to fix it. He was clearing out his icy driveway as his car warmed up.
“I woke up and saw the water advancing. I was worried about my car because it’s the only one I have,” Del Angel said in Spanish. “But we’re already seeing that the water is receding.”
Southwest Detroit resident Juan Del Angel said he believed new pipes he recently replaced helped save his home from flooding. (Photo Credit: Isabelle Tavares/Planet Detroit)
When Del Angel noticed that water started filling his basement, where he had an extra bathroom and bedroom, he rushed to move his belongings upstairs. Del Angel said he replaced the piping in his house recently and said he believes it prevented major flooding in his home.
“All these houses are old and broken,” Del Angel said in Spanish. “I found broken pipes when I removed the old drainage.”
Just four blocks from the rupture, Army Street remained covered in ice-locked cars, frozen in place. Jay Pashi, store manager at BeeBee’s 1 Food Center at Lafayette and Wheelock, said he’s been offering free drinks, snacks, and parking space for de-iced vehicles.
“People who come in are not doing well,” he said. He said his business is down 70% since the break.
Inspections underway
At a Tuesday news conference, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said rescue teams evacuated 63 adults, 31 children, and 13 pets, with one person hospitalized but now recovering. Of the 398 affected homes, 296 individuals are in city-subsidized hotels, and 60% of residents remain in their homes. There are 72 houses without power.
The city is prioritizing power restoration and assessing 190 houses with basement flooding and 174 without heat. Duggan said residents can stay in the hotels until their homes are habitable, whether for a week or a month.
“We have shifted from the rescue phase to the service phase,” Duggan said.
Duggan said the Great Lakes Water Authority and the Detroit Water and Sewer Department are coordinating repairs. City officials said Tuesday that they aim to inspect all homes within three days and complete repairs within six weeks.
City inspectors are working through the affected area, assessing damage before contractors begin repairs. Once inspections are complete, crews will start dewatering flooded basements, repairing or replacing damaged furnaces, cleaning and sanitizing basements to prevent health hazards, ensuring electrical systems are functioning properly and verifying that homes are structurally safe for residents to return. Work is expected to begin next week, but repairs cannot start until inspections are finished.
Duggan urged residents to file insurance claims as soon as possible, emphasizing that GLWA and DWSD will cover any uninsured costs. A total cost estimate for damages is not yet available.
With many homes vacant due to displacement, Police Chief Todd Bettison committed to increased patrols in the affected neighborhood. Duggan said stepped-up enforcement is necessary to protect homes and belongings until families can return.
DWSD Director Gary Brown said it was “way too early” to determine the cause of the failure. He said workers had not yet reached the break due to debris.
Water main failures and rate hikes
Water main breaks are a threat in Metro Detroit, where aging infrastructure continues to deteriorate. According to GLWA documents, many water transmission mains are over a century old and require significant replacements and rehabilitation.
In 2021, GLWA launched an initiative to evaluate 800 miles of large-diameter transmission mains. Underground Infrastructure magazine named the project the 2024 Asset Management Project of the Year for its efforts to prevent future failures.
Jay Pashi, store manager of BeeBee’s 1 Food Center, said his parking lot filled up overnight as residents looked to save their vehicles from further damage. (Photo Credit: Isabelle Tavares/Planet Detroit)
“Knowing the age and condition of the mains can give a very good idea of when they are likely to fail and when they should be repaired or replaced, along with a good idea of how much it will cost,” said Eric J. Oswald, director of Drinking Water and Environmental Health Division at the Michigan Department of Energy, Great Lakes and Environment.
He noted that “funding is definitely a challenge” and that while the state provides some support through the revolving loan process, local utilities are largely responsible for paying for inspections and repairs. “The [water utilities] should be taking in enough revenue to adequately operate and maintain their systems,” he said.
Last week, GLWA proposed its largest water and sewer rate hikes in a decade. The agency is requesting a 7.73% increase in wholesale water rates and a 5.39% increase in sewer rates, exceeding the 4% cap that has been in place for the past 10 years and is set to expire this year.
GLWA officials said the hike is necessary to cover deferred maintenance, capital improvements and corrosion control measures designed to prevent lead contamination in drinking water. A public hearing on Feb. 26 will determine whether the increase is approved.
Critics, including Demeeko Williams of Hydrate Detroit, argue the hike will disproportionately impact low-income residents.
“Increasing rates during an economic downturn will make it harder for people to keep their water on,” Williams told the Detroit News.
How to help or get help for those impacted by the Detroit flood
Residents affected by the water main break can call 313-774-5261 for assistance with hotel stays, cleanup, and repairs.
Hotels are pet-friendly, and Detroit Animal Care and Control can assist at 313-922-DOGS for larger pets. Towed vehicles are at the 4th Precinct, 4700 W Fort St., and can be retrieved free of charge. The Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation is collecting donations of blankets, warm clothing, pet supplies, dry goods, toiletries, and menstrual products for displaced residents.
Detroit firefighters donate personal items to the Patton Recreation Center in Southwest Detroit. (Photo Credit: Isabelle Tavares/Planet Detroit)
Donations can be dropped off at:
- Kemeny Recreation Center, 2260 S. Fort St.
- Patton Recreation Center, 2301 Woodmere St.
- Detroiters Helping Each Other, 2501 Pearl St.
- Urban Neighborhoods Initiative, 8300 Longworth
Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero emphasized that aid will be provided regardless of citizenship status.
Catch more news at Great Lakes Now:
After water main break, officials say homes in Detroit’s Southwest will get repairs covered
Great Lakes News Collaborative examines Water’s True Cost
Featured image: Army St. in Southwest Detroit a day after a 54-inch water main ruptured, flooding homes and streets with frigid water. (Photo Credit: Isabelle Tavares/Planet Detroit)
