MELVINDALE, Mich. – A burst water main near Robert and South Dearborn streets in Melvindale left the street ice-covered, forcing some residents to stay inside Friday morning.
Crews spent the morning clearing huge ice chunks and sludge from the street, which were caused by the water main break.
Mayor Nicole Shkira said the incident was caused by aging infrastructure.
Carolyn Thompson, a resident on South Dearborn Street, watched the situation unfold from her living room window.
“This has never happened in the wintertime,” Thompson said.
She noticed the water rising on the road on Thursday (Jan. 22) and called the city.
“It just kept getting deeper and deeper,” Thompson said. “As fast as it was coming up, I thought, ' Jeez, is it going to make it to my porch. Is it going to make it to my house?”
The water did not reach her home, as it eventually froze into a mixture of ice by her driveway.
Luther Richardson’s granddaughter got his car stuck while driving through the icy street on Friday morning.
“She was going to work, and I guess she didn’t know the water was that deep and ran in it,” Richardson said.
Although the granddaughter was shaken, Richardson remained calm.
“It’s a car, don’t worry about it,” Richardson said. “Either fix it or buy another one.”
Mayor Shkira said crews from outside the city were called in to assist with the repair.
Wayne County posted about their crews helping out with the situation.
The mayor said in situations like this, if residents turn on their taps and the water comes out yellowish or brown, do not drink it.
Local 4 reached out to the city to ask when the break was fixed. They couldn’t give a specific time but said the repair was completed.