Whitmer declares emergency for 4 counties after main break

BURTCHVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared a state of emergency for four southeastern Michigan counties following a water main break that led to a boil-water advisory for several communities.

Whitmer issued the emergency declaration Sunday for Lapeer, Macomb, Oakland, and St. Clair counties. Her order activates the state’s emergency operations center and makes state resources available for recovery efforts in the designated area.

Whitmer said in a statement that “we are drawing on every resource we have and taking every action necessary to get impacted families the help they need.”

Authorities issued a boil-water advisory Saturday after the Great Lakes Water Authority reported a break on a critical pipe in St. Clair County, which carries treated water from Lake Huron and is the largest in the system.

The boil advisory was initially issued for more than 900,000 people in nearly two dozen southeastern Michigan communities. But Whitmer's statement said the boil-order was eased hours later because authorities' quick response resulted in the number of Michigan residents impacted by the pipe's break being “significantly lower than originally projected."