Auburn Hills Water Main Break Shuts Nonessential Businesses, Costing Some Tens of Thousands Daily
Updated
Updated · WXYZ 7 Action News Detroit · May 11
Auburn Hills Water Main Break Shuts Nonessential Businesses, Costing Some Tens of Thousands Daily
7 articles · Updated · WXYZ 7 Action News Detroit · May 11
Mother's Day closures hit Lake Orion and Orion Township restaurants especially hard after a major Auburn Hills water main break left hydrants and bathrooms with too little water for safe operation.
Lake Orion officials said nonessential businesses had to shut because limited hydrant pressure created fire risks and unusable restrooms posed a public safety hazard, with no reopening date announced.
Lake Orion temporarily eased rules to allow food trucks and food stands, letting some operators keep selling with workarounds such as trailer service and distilled water brought in from outside town.
Sick Town Hall said the outage is costing tens of thousands of dollars a day, prompting it to shift service to an Oxford location and move employees to other sites while owners seek longer-term fixes.
The break also affected Auburn Hills and parts of Rochester Hills, and local business groups are organizing support now while planning campaigns to bring customers back once water service is restored.
How are food trucks and creative partnerships saving a town's economy during a water crisis?
Insurance may not cover the outage, so how will local businesses survive crippling daily losses?
Why did a water main fail 50 years early, and could your town's pipes be next?