Detroit is lifting its water advisory on the city’s east side.
City officials say they were notified of “brown, rusty water” by St. John Hospital, who found the problem while running their taps.
Residents in neighborhoods like Cornerstone Village, East English Village and Morningside complained of the same issue.
"We did an investigation," said Gary Brown, director of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. "There was a disruption to the water main that feeds that neighborhood and that hospital. We spent all night last night flushing the system and we got it cleaned out.”
Brown is asking residents to flush their pipes for at least five minutes before using. He says people should start running their taps at the lowest level of their home and clean the aerators in faucets.
Meanwhile Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is appealing to the federal government for emergency assistance after the city’s flooding this week. That includes meeting with President Joe Biden directly.
Duggan says he’ll go to Traverse City this weekend to speak with the president.
Thousands are still cleaning up and evaluating the damage from the heavy rains this week, which affected large areas of Detroit, Dearborn and other parts of Wayne County. Duggan says the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be in southeast Michigan next week.
“FEMA will be on the ground here next Thursday of next week. This is record speed. Certainly much faster than we saw in 2014,” Duggan said.
Duggan says the public works department has nearly tripled its cleanup crews to help clear debris. He says residents should keep photo records of their damage and cleaning repairs to back up their claims.
Duggan says some neighborhoods affected by flooding have been hit by scammers posing as city employees. He says staff with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department and affiliated volunteers have marked clothing, vehicles and badges. Concerned residents should call the utility before allowing suspected workers in their homes.
