A water main break closed Heights Rd. near Lakeview St. for 12 hours Monday, spewing almost two feet deep of water into a nearby valley before it was repaired.
The break even caused one basement to flood, Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Jeremy Richert said, who received the call at 5:52 a.m. that morning.
The area was open to the public again by 7 p.m., after the Village DPW crew repaired the leak and shoveled snow from alongside the water line, allowing the water to drain out of the road.
While it is not exactly clear what caused the break, Richert said most breaks that occur in the winter are caused by the cold weather.
‘When the ground freezes and thaws it shifts, and that is what causes the water main to pop,? he said.
The ditch is not the only area in the village where snow is being removed.
Richert and his team have hauled all excess snow from downtown Lake Orion and surrounding subdivisions to East Lawn Cemetery with hopes for it to melt slowly.
Richert became DPW Director on December 9, filling the shoes of previous director Jeff Sears, who left to pursue other opportunities in October. –M. Peters