Detroit Department of Water and Sewerage repairing water main breaks, broken fire hydrants
(CBS DETROIT) - Frigid temperatures are causing some problems for residents living in neighborhoods known for flooding.
Although conditions are not too bad, the Detroit Department of Water and Sewerage (DWSD) is ramping up to get crews out on the job.
District 7 on the west side is keeping crews from the DWSD busy.
The area is prone to water main breaks, but a new investment will help dry up the wet conditions.
"Here in District 7, we have a $40 million project in far west Detroit, which is on the southwest side of the city over by Telegraph and Warren and the project is building two detention ponds in Rouge Park," said DWSD spokesperson Bryan Peckinpaugh.
The project will redirect stormwater from a neighborhood of 1,200 homes to reduce flooding and basement back-ups.
Another pressing issue facing DWSD is broken fire hydrants.
"Right now with our DWSD crews, we are repairing or replacing 33 hydrants per day," Peckinpaugh said
"We have about 1,200 work orders."
CBS Detroit discovered there are currently 40 active watermain breaks in Detroit.
As more snow is expected to fall over the weekend the below freezing temperatures can lead to more repairs.
Watermain repairs will be prioritized by severity, starting in areas with no water service.
"Bubbling water on a sidewalk, call DWSD or put it in the Improve Detroit app and we'll investigate and then assign a crew to make the repair," Peckinpaugh said.