Water Pressure Returned to Walled Lake Following 48-inch Main Break
WATER PRESSURES IN NOVI AND WALLED LAKE NEAR NORMAL LEVELS; DAMAGED PIPE SECTION HAS BEEN REMOVED
• Water pressures in Novi and Walled Lake are currently near normal levels
• Boil Water Advisory remains in effect for Novi and Walled Lake; Residents/businesses should follow Boil Water Advisory guidelines as water returns
• Crews have removed the damaged section of main and are preparing for the installation of the new steel main
• Installation of the new steel main section is expected to be completed on Monday
DETROIT – At approximately 4:30 a.m. Saturday, March 7, 2026, the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) discovered a break on a 48-inch water transmission main on 14 Mile Road at Verona, which is between Drake and Farmington Roads in Farmington Hills.
After excavating the break site, Field Service crews and emergency contractors removed a 20 foot section of damaged main and are preparing for the installation of the new steel main. It is anticipated that the installation should be completed by the end of the day on Monday.
Water pressures have returned to near normal levels in Novi and Walled Lake. However, both communities remain under a boil water advisory until two rounds of water quality testing are completed and come back clear. When water pressure is restored, if the community is still under a Boil Water Advisory, its residents and businesses should follow the actions noted in this FAQ on Boil Water Advisories.
With pressures now stabilized, flushing and sampling activities that are required to lift the boil water advisory have begun. The current target for lifting the boil water advisories in Novi and Walled Lake is mid-week. As soon as more specific timelines are available, they will be communicated.
GLWA will share more information as it becomes available.
Jody Caldwell
Chief Planning OfficerJody Caldwell is the Chief Planning Officer for the Great Lakes Water Authority. Mr. Caldwell brings over two decades of private consultation, municipal operations and maintenance, asset management, and strategic planning experience within the water sector. In the Chief Planning Officer role with GLWA, he supports the asset management, capital improvement planning, water and wastewater analytics, planning and metering, systems planning and member outreach groups.
Prior to this role, Mr. Caldwell was the Asset Management Director for the enterprise-wide asset management group within GLWA for over five years. He helped to support functional areas by coordinating overall asset management strategies, objectives, and activities to ensure decisions are informed by risk, regional needs, and life cycle considerations.
Prior to his service with GLWA, Mr. Caldwell was a Chief Engineer at Oakland County’s Water Resources Commissioner’s Office where he worked for 12 years in many different capacities. In that role, Mr. Caldwell was responsible for oversight of multiple areas including capital, asset management and planning, finance and budgeting, water operations and maintenance, water engineering, and cross connection control. During his time with WRC, Mr. Caldwell worked closely with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) and GLWA. He was the Oakland County representative on the DWSD Board of Water Commissioners, served as the water technical advisory committee and wastewater steering committee co-chairs, and was an important part of the DWSD-GLWA transition effort.
Mr. Caldwell is a registered professional engineer in the state of Michigan and holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Michigan State University.