UPDATE 14: GLWA TO REPLACE AND/OR RENEW APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE OF 42-INCH WATER TRANSMISSION MAIN ALONG 14 MILE ROAD
· Goal of the work is to continue building resiliency in the 42-inch water transmission main that has experienced numerous issues over the last seven years
· Work to occur in three phases over seven months beginning in mid-January 2026
· Approximately one mile of 42-inch water main to be replaced or renewed
· Total investment is expected to be approximately $12.8 million
DETROIT – The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), in collaboration with its member partner communities of Commerce Township, Walled Lake, Wixom and Novi, has developed an action plan to continue building resiliency in the regional system after a 42-inch water transmission main unexpectedly failed on 14 Mile Road, west of M5, at the end of September. This plan was developed based on extensive data garnered from the recent inspection of nearly four miles of this transmission main.
The action plan, which involves both water main replacement and renewal, will occur in three phases over the next seven months, spanning mid-January 2026 through late April, with road restoration expected to be completed by the end of June.
· Phase One: Replaces 260 linear feet of prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) on 14 Mile Road in front of Beachwalk Drive with new steel pipe and will also internally wrap multiple sections of PCCP with carbon fiber reinforced polymer in two areas (at Ladd Road and W. Maple Road and on 14 Mile Road at Beachwalk Drive). The carbon fiber renewal will extend the life of the pipe by approximately 50 years. Subject to approval by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, GLWA is also planning to install an acoustic fiber optic monitoring system in these reinforced pipes to detect the sound of wire breaks, which can help predict future failures before they occur. Phase one is scheduled to occur mid-January through mid-February 2026;
· Phase Two: Replaces 240 linear feet of PCCP with new steel pipe on 14 Mile Road immediately west of M-5. It is scheduled to occur from mid-January through the beginning of March 2026;
· Phase Three: Replaces nearly one mile of PCCP with new steel pipe on 14 Mile Road between M-5 and Novi/Decker Road. Phase three is scheduled to occur from mid-January through late April.
Traffic will be impacted along 14 Mile Road due to the construction. GLWA is working with the Road Commission for Oakland County to finalize the plan and determine detour routes before the end of the year so that they can be shared with the public well in advance of work beginning in mid-January.
GLWA estimates that it will be investing $12.8 million in this critical infrastructure resiliency work. Within the last year, GLWA also completed a more than $110 million redundancy loop project in the water transmission system which allowed restoration of water service to the communities served by the failed main much more quickly than in previous breaks.
“Because this transmission main has seen three significant breaks in the last seven years it is critical that we take an aggressive approach to addressing the results of this recent inspection,” said Cheryl Porter, Chief Operating Officer, Water and Field Services at GLWA. “Completely replacing nearly one mile of this main, which the data shows has significantly deteriorated in the last several years, will assist us in delivering the level of service these communities deserve, and that we are committed to providing.”
For more information on the project, please visit the dedicated project page on GLWA’s website: www.glwater.org/14milemainproject.
