Ongoing water issues in Burtchville Township may not bother visitors checking out nearby businesses and the local campground as residents headed into their fifth day under a boil water order Wednesday.
“We usually bring our own drinking water anyway, so it was fine for us,” said camper Judy Dennis, referring to the five two-gallon water jugs.
Visiting from Bloomfield Township, she was among the visitors staying at the Lakeport State Park campground, where unit supervisor Mark Sine said he didn’t expect the boil advisory still in effect for seven communities in four counties, including Burtchville, to hinder many registered. campers this coming weekend.
Although visitors have begun to taper off in the last days of summer, Sine said they are still seeing many people taking advantage of the M-25 campground with 150 sites occupied each day and 250 campsites and three cabins reaching capacity. on the weekend.
However, he added, “Obviously, the phone has been ringing off the hook with questions about the status.”
Thousands of residents and businesses were affected when the Great Lakes Water Authority reported a massive break in a 120-inch water main pumping finished drinking water from its Lake Huron water treatment facility early Saturday.
Burtchville is the only community customer in St. Louis County.
Sine said it seems like the order has affected people at home more than visitors to the park, adding that the municipality has brought them bottled water, “which has been very helpful and so far, people have been very understanding.” .
“All of our facilities are open, like our shower buildings, our bathroom buildings,” he said. “We’re just posting notices and signs everywhere to let people know that the advisory is in effect (and) not to consume the water unless you boil the water. … Other than that, it’s business as usual.”
Others also ‘barely notice the problem’, while businesses do their part
Tally Ho Bar and Grill owner William Bajis was enjoying a drink at noon Wednesday.
The 82-year-old building is on Lakeshore Road across from Burtchville City Park, and while business has been slow, Bajis said, “We’re doing our part” to handle the boiling water order.
“The health department has issued a bulletin that we should boil all our water and give out bottled water,” he said. They are also buying ice packs to solve the problem, which he said was “just adding to the cost.”
Back at the state park campground, a couple of visitors recalled being briefed in advance about Saturday’s water break and boil order.
“I barely notice the issue,” said Margo Osterman, also of Bloomfield Township.
“The park system is really good,” Dennis said. Referring to her husband Mike, she said: “They emailed him and called him (to tell him) to get ready.”
But Judy Dennis admitted: “I brushed my teeth in the sink and forgot.”
The group arrived earlier this week and stayed until Friday.
Sine said they felt it was important to message people ahead of time.
“When the leak occurred in their piping system, we lost water pressure and most of the water starting Saturday morning. It was around five o’clock,” he said. “(We) had no water (until) about eight o’clock in the evening.”
GLWA reported that they expect it will take until early September, or three weeks after the major Saturday holiday, to restore water service to the affected 26-mile, degraded pipeline that runs through northern St. Louis County. Clair. It was not clear whether the boil water order would last the full three weeks.
The investigation into the cause of the half-century-old water main remains ongoing as crews await additional replacement infrastructure expected to arrive next week.
For more information, visit https://www.glwater.org.
Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmi[email protected]. Contact Sergio Montanez at [email protected].