Drinking water warning issued for city in Michigan

A Michigan community has issued a water alert after officials reported a “safety breach” at the local water treatment plant Monday morning.

Residents of Sylvan Township, located in Washtenaw County about 20 miles west of Ann Arbor, were warned in a social media post Monday morning by the county sheriff’s department that a “drinking alert” was in effect due to an “incident” at the Sylvan Township water treatment plant.

The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office issued a second statement Monday afternoon, saying officials “discovered a security breach at the water treatment plant Monday morning” and that “damage occurred inside the plant, including tampering with the control system.”

“There is evidence of additional attempts to damage local infrastructure,” said the announcement, which was shared on Facebook. “Town officials are working with local law enforcement and state officials to investigate. There is no visual evidence that the water has been contaminated, but testing will need to be done to confirm this.”

Michigan State Police said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that troopers were dispatched to the water treatment plant around 7 a.m. ET after employees reported the facility had been broken into. Troopers observed the suspect, a 33-year-old man from Belleville, Michigan, leaving the treatment plant while taking a report of the incident.

The suspect, who was arrested as he left the building, appears to have “gained entry to the property by cutting through a barbed wire fence,” state police said. He was booked into the Washtenaw County Jail on numerous charges.

“When he entered the building, he spray-painted the windows, apparently to avoid being seen,” police added. “He also constructed a makeshift bed using items in the building.”

During the water advisory, residents who receive their water from the Sylvan Township Wastewater Treatment Plant should avoid drinking or using tap water, including for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, preparing food, making ice, and feeding pets. Bottled water should be used instead until the advisory is lifted.

“Please notify the Township Water Department at (734 475-8890 ext. 112) immediately if you notice any changes in the quality of your water,” the sheriff’s office statement said. “If you have noticed any suspicious activity related to tampering with public infrastructure in the Township, please contact local law enforcement at 810-227-1051.”

Newsweek I have emailed the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office for more information.