Water supply lines to the city of Ann Arbor water line have ruptured and could possibly lead to a shutdown of the city’s water treatment facility for two to three days to repair the lines. Craig Hupy, Ann Arbor’s public services area administrator, debriefed City Council at its meeting Monday night.
Running from the Huron River, the two water lines reportedly were affected by the rupture. The initial rupture of one of the pipelines happened Saturday, and efforts to divert the flow from the ruptured line to the intact one were unsuccessful, forcing the city to bring in an outside contractor.
If the repairs are not successful by Tuesday, the water treatment facility will be forced to shut down, and citizens will have to limit water usage for two or three days so repairs can take place.
At the meeting, Hupy said the treated stored water the city delivers during the shutdown will be safe to drink.
Ann Arbor resident Edward Vielmetti said while the shutdown might force him to purchase clean water in the meantime, he’s glad the city has a protocol in place to deal with such emergencies.
“I’m going to go to the store tonight and buy some bottled water,” Vielmetti said. “I’m sure they’ll fix it but it’s a good time to check on emergency preparedness.”