State of Emergency Water Main Break and Boil Water Advisory

UPDATE, May 16, 10:20 AM – We are pleased to share that the boil water advisory has been lifted.

Before resuming normal water use and consumption, it is very important that all residents and businesses review and follow the safety guidelines provided by our partners at the Oakland County Health Division.

To ensure your water is safe for drinking and household use, all steps recommended by the Health Division must be completed before consumption. These include:

• Flushing your home plumbing by running cold water for at least five minutes
• Cleaning and reinstalling faucet aerators
• Clearing hot water pipes before washing dishes by hand
• Removing and discarding water filters
• Running laundry machines and dishwashers on empty cycles before resuming normal use

Thanks to the smart, creative and efficient team at Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), the support of our neighboring communities, Orion Township, Rochester Hills, and Pontiac, and the cooperation of our residents and businesses, we were able to navigate this water crisis within a remarkably short timeline.

There is no way to know how a community will respond to a challenge until it happens, and we are grateful that Auburn Hills residents and businesses rose to the occasion with cooperation and support.

A very special thank you to our Department of Public Works, Auburn Hills Police Department, and Auburn Hills Fire Department who worked around the clock to get us to the finish line.

UPDATE, May 14, 2:30 PM – The water distribution site at the Auburn Hills Department of Public Works (1500 Brown Rd) will remain open until the boil water advisory is lifted. Distribution hours are:

Thursday, May 14: 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday, May 15: 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday, May 16: 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Sunday, May 17: 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Please continue to follow guidance from Oakland County Health Division.

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we work through this.

UPDATE, May 13, 2:15 PM – We are thrilled to announce that GLWA has returned normal water pressure to Orion Township, the Village of Lake Orion, Auburn Hills, and Rochester Hills! Community members are no longer required to restrict water usage.

A boil water advisory remains in effect for Auburn Hills residents and businesses north of University Drive and Cross Creek Parkway until all required water quality testing is completed. This multi-day testing process will begin as soon as system flushing is complete.

In preparation for a lifted boil water alert, our partners at Oakland County Health Division prepared a thorough list of steps residents should take before resuming normal water use and consumption. We encourage everyone to review these guidelines here. Until the boil water advisory is lifted, please follow this checklist.

Water distribution remains available at the Department of Public Works, 1500 Brown Rd., from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Water trucks are still on site and distributing potable water.

UPDATE, May 12, 1:00 PM – Auburn Hills remains under a State of Emergency due to ongoing water system issues. Water use is restricted to ESSENTIAL PURPOSES ONLY, including drinking and personal sanitation. The Boil Water Advisory remains in place for residents and businesses north of Cross Creek Parkway/University Drive. Residents and water users should not drink the water without boiling it first. Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) continues to urge residents of Auburn Hills to limit water use to what is absolutely necessary for hydration and basic sanitation for the duration of the emergency. Please do not run dishwashers, washing machines, or water your lawn. Businesses, restaurants and schools may reopen ONLY if they can comply with emergency water restrictions and all health/safety guidelines as provided. Businesses in Boil Water Advisory zones must follow Oakland County and State of Michigan requirements for food prep and sanitation.

There will be a 1:00 p.m. webinar for more information related to restaurant operations. Join the webinar here: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/239847661949677...

Potable water is available for residents at: Auburn Hills DPW, 1500 Brown Rd, Auburn Hills, MI 48326

The GLWA has reached a milestone in the replacement process and the new pipe has been installed. There is still a lot to be done, and the final phases are expected to be extensive, residents/businesses should prepare for a potentially prolonged outage.

UPDATE, May 11, 4:42 PM – City officials are also urging non-essential businesses and organizations to consider suspending in-person operations and large gatherings to help preserve the system's remaining capacity for critical needs. At this time, restaurants are not permitted to be operational. If business operations require water for anything other than bathrooms and hydration, please remain closed. Minimal impacts on the system are critical to what happens over the next two (2) weeks.

UPDATE, May 11, 3:58 PM – Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) continues to urge the residents of Auburn Hills to restrict water usage to only what is absolutely necessary for hydration and basic sanitation for the duration of the emergency. Please do not run dishwashers, washing machines, or water your lawn. GLWA progress updates can be found at glwater.org.

UPDATE, May 10, 12:58 PM – To assist residents impacted by the outage, GLWA has provided a water truck distributing one-gallon containers of water. The water truck is available now until 7:00 p.m., or until they run out of water, at the Department of Public Works, located at 1500 Brown Rd. The truck will return Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Water distribution will continue while the emergency outage remains in effect.

Auburn Hills, Michigan, May 10, 2026 – Earlier this morning, at about 1:30 am, a major water main burst within the City of Auburn Hills. This water main is a Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) 42” transmission line located within the city’s River Woods Park (Squirrel Rd. south of M-59). Emergency personnel and city staff immediately responded to the scene of the break, which caused significant flooding within the park and on Squirrel Rd. GLWA was able to shut off water to this section of the main transmission line and water was able to be drained from the road. Emergency personnel confirmed that no one was injured during this incident. Squirrel Rd. was temporarily shut down for a period of time but has since reopened to traffic. River Woods Park will remain closed until further notice while GLWA completes the necessary repairs.

GLWA is a regional supplier of municipal water in Auburn Hills, particularly in the north end of the city. Due to the nature of this water main break the City of Auburn Hills has declared a State of Emergency. Residents and businesses shall only use water for emergency purposes. For all areas within the city limits, north of Taylor Road, water is currently being supplied by a municipal water tower, however this may not last until repairs are completed. In this area of the city, water may eventually run out. For areas south of Taylor Road the use of water for emergency purposes only is also in effect, as alternative resources are being utilized to provide water in this area of the city.

A MANDATORY BOIL WATER ADVISORY has been issued for all areas of the City of Auburn Hills, north of Cross Creek Parkway/University Drive. Residents and water users should not drink the water without boiling it first.

GLWA will be providing potable water for residents at several locations, to include one location in Auburn Hills. Additional information, including the hours and location will be shared at the appropriate time.

All updates and further communication will be issued through a Joint Information Center established in coordination with the City of Auburn Hills, Orion Township, Village of Lake Orion, Oakland County, and GLWA. A media conference is scheduled today at 10am at the Orion Township Hall, located at 2323 Joslyn Rd., Lake Orion, MI.

All information and updates will be shared on the City of Auburn Hills website at auburnhills.org and at https://www.glwater.org/pr-media/