MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, Mich. — The Muskegon Heights Department of Public Works (MHDPW) has their work cut out for them Wednesday morning after what they're calling a "glitch" in the system triggered citywide outages.
“It was a shock,” said Tina Jackson on when she realized her Muskegon Heights home had no water, leaving her scrambling to take care of her grandkids.
She went on to say, “I got to figure something out, mean, I have to try to feed them now. So have to take water to cook with. So, it's trying to see, you know, how to make a meal, try to get them ready. So, for the rest of the day, it's an adjustment.”
She was not alone; many residents were able to get free water at a distribution site sponsored by the West Michigan Lake Hawks in Flight Foundation.
Ronald Jenkins, founder of West Michigan Lake Hawks, says, “We're actually giving away water. As we lost pressure here in the city of Muskegon Heights, I got my administration and staff and said, 'Hey, let's do something first thing.' We all got together and said, 'Let's give away water; let's make sure that we can do what we can for our citizens in Muskegon Heights.'”
Kelly Morehead, a Muskegon Heights resident, said, “This is a tragedy for us. It's crazy. Everyone just woke up in the Muskegon Heights without water. So, thanks for the people that are giving back to the city.”
The problem started when something malfunctioned in the Muskegon Heights water filtration plant, which left most of the city with little or no water pressure.
Muskegon Heights Interim City Manager Melvin C. Burns II said, “There is an automated system that operates the plant. There was some kind of problem with the system. What it is designed to do is if something is off or there is a problem, it'll shut itself down.”
To help get the water pressure back, the city of Muskegon and Norton Shores opened up their interconnect water pipes to provide the Muskegon Heights system with water.
“Nobody likes when things don't go right. But a couple of positives we can take from this is: so things operate the windows, emergency things operate the way they should know all the staff knows exactly what to do. We've got the staff, we've got engineering consultants, everybody's working on solving the problems,” said Burns.
The water issue forced the Muskegon Heights School Academy to close for the day. Muskegon Heights is telling everyone in the city to not use the water. The loss of pressure means bacteria, like E. coli,could be in the water. Residents are being told to boil then cool their water before using.
That means water sites like this are going to be important for residents for the next several days. Kelly Morehead says, “We’re going to take this day by day. You know, I am also going to the store and get water myself but I'm also going to appreciate the water that's given because we don't know how long or how many days this is going to last; they say bacteria in the water when it comes back on. It's just crazy right now."
The city says it knows that not having water will be hard for residents and they will do their best to fix it. Burns says, “We just appreciate folks’ patience; we know they're terribly inconvenienced. Just know for certain that everybody here is working as fast and as smart as they can to resolve this issue.”
If you are hooked up to the Muskegon Heights water supply, make sure to boil your water (letting it cool completely) — or use bottled water — for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, doing dishes, and food prep/cleaning. You can still shower or bathe but don't swallow any of the water.
The city's release says bacteria are generally not harmful and common; boiling is a precaution to help kill anything in the supply that may be harmful.
Boil Water Advisory Muskegon Heights Revised by WXMI on Scribd
Samples are being taken — per protocol — to find any contaminants. Another announcement will go out when the advisory is lifted.
Meijer says they and Michigan State Police are supporting residents with a truckload of donated water at the Muskegon Heights Farmers Market. The company adds they are ready to provide additional support when necessary.
UPDATE (5:40 p.m.): The city of Muskegon Heights announced water pressure was restored to the city but the boil-water advisory is still in effect. In the meantime, city workers are in the process of rectifying what caused the loss of water pressure, and water testing is underway.
We're told bottled water will be distributed at the farmers market until 8 p.m. Wednesday and from 8 a.m.–12 p.m. Thursday.
The city says they will release notifications once the water is safe to drink. Check with their website for updates.
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