Overview:

- A 19-foot replacement pipe has arrived on-site, and crews have removed a 12-foot section of the damaged main.
- A claim form for financial assistance is now available at detroitmi.gov/dwsd.
- Full restoration is expected to take at least two weeks.

A replacement pipe for the massive water main break in Southwest Detroit has arrived on-site, and crews are moving forward with repairs after days of flooding and displacement.

The 54-inch steel transmission line ruptured early Monday near Beard and Rowan streets, sending water into homes and streets, trapping vehicles in ice and forcing residents into temporary shelters. Officials say damage assessments are ongoing, with repairs expected to take at least two weeks.

A 19-foot replacement segment has arrived on-site and is being prepared for installation. Home inspections are ongoing, with 110 of the 400 affected homes already assessed on Wednesday, the Detroit Free Press reported. Of those, 100 have reported basement flooding.

The city and its partner agencies continue to support displaced residents, with 133 households spending Tuesday night in hotels. Those needing emergency assistance, including shelter and transportation, can call (313) 774-5261.

A claim form for financial assistance—covering costs not reimbursed by insurance—is now available in English and Spanish at detroitmi.gov/dwsd. Mayor Mike Duggan has also encouraged residents to file claims with their insurance providers.

Repairs to the broader water system are ongoing. A separate break in a 6-inch line has left four homes on Beard Street without water service and placed 50 homes under a boil water advisory for the next two days. Bottled water has been provided as a precaution.

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Crews have removed a 12-foot section of the damaged pipe. Full restoration of the main transmission line is expected to take at least two weeks, while city officials estimate that all displaced residents could return home within six weeks.

Teams are also addressing ice-related hazards, clearing trapped vehicles, and providing support to residents. Community organizations, local businesses, and volunteers have provided translation services and other assistance.

The break occurred in the early morning hours of Feb. 17, when a 54-inch transmission line built in the 1930s ruptured, sending water into residential streets and flooding homes in the surrounding area.

Some residents had to be rescued by raft, and due to low temperatures, water quickly froze, trapping vehicles and creating hazardous conditions.

The Great Lakes Water Authority and the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department have committed to covering costs not reimbursed by insurance, expediting repairs and working to ensure residents can return home as soon as possible.

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Nina Misuraca Ignaczak is an award-winning Metro Detroit-based editor, journalist, and documentary filmmaker. She is the founder, publisher, and editor of Planet Detroit, a digital media startup focused on producing quality climate, health, and environment journalism that holds power accountable, and spotlights solutions. Planet Detroit has received awards and recognition from the Society for Professional Journalists Detroit, the Institute for Nonprofit News, and LION Publishers since its establishment in 2019. Prior to her journalism career, Nina worked in urban planning in local government and nonprofit sectors, holding a Master of Science in Natural Resource Ecology and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.