Boil water advisory issued in Muskegon Heights

David Horak
·2 min read

MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, Mich. (WOOD) — Muskegon Heights residents are under a boil water advisory after a drop in water pressure Wednesday morning.

Everyone in the affected area should boil their water for at least one minute before consuming it. It’s safe to bathe in the water without boiling it.

The Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System told News 8 that it was forced to close Wednesday because its schools did not have water.

The city of Muskegon said it was helping Muskegon Heights as it worked to resolve the issue.

Around 6 a.m. Wednesday, Dan VanderHeide, who serves as public works director for the city of Muskegon, said the city got requests for assistance from Muskegon Heights. Thanks to joint agreements between them, the system for the city of Muskegon — which is interconnected with Muskegon Heights but was not affected by the pressure drop — was able to restore water flow for affected customers within 45 minutes of the request.

“It sometimes varies to the extent that we have connections between the two systems. In this case, because the two cities are right next to each other and have a long history of being next to each other, there are several places that which the two systems connect,” VanderHeide explained. “So, we were able to feed into their system from several different points.”

According to VanderHeide, the boil advisory does not affect customers within the city of Muskegon and other parts of Muskegon County who use the city’s water system. The water is safe to consume for those residents.

The water is being monitored and tested to determine when the boil water advisory can be dropped.

“We are working around the clock to resolve this issue, and the boil water advisory will be lifted once samples confirm that the water is safe for consumption,” the city of Muskegon Heights wrote in a release.

Meijer said it worked with Michigan State Police to bring a truckload of water for residents. It is being distributed at Muskegon Heights Farmers Market on Center Street near Baker Street from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday night. Water will also be provided at the same location from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Thursday. The distribution will continue until the boil water advisory is lifted, the city of Muskegon Heights said.

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