Detroit water department faces staffing shortage leading to long wait times for water system repairs

Water problems caused by severe weather

DETROIT – Residents in Detroit are worried about water problems caused by the severe weather.

The problems range from a sinkhole on Detroit’s east side to broken fire hydrants. The reason the problems are taking so long to fix are because of the lack of staff at the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD).

The Help Me Hank team has been flooded with emails and calls from viewers who want to know when the problems will be fixed. The DWSD said they are working to address the issues throughout the city of Detroit, but just don’t have the manpower right now.

READ: City of Detroit extends moratorium on residential water shutoffs through 2022

There is a fire hydrant on Grand River Avenue that is broken and is causing a lot of problems.

“I was walking to the gas station, the whole fire hydrant was, like, sliced in half. Water was gushing out,” a resident said.

Women who live nearby said they are concerned about the neighbors who live in the area and have to deal with the mess. Local 4 started making calls and DWSD was quick to respond, they made sure the water was shut off enough to go into the catch basin.

DWSD officials said they’re short-staffed right now and are working to recruit more employees.

Click here to find out about positions that are open and apply.

READ: More local news coverage


About the Authors

Hank Winchester is Local 4’s Consumer Investigative Reporter and the head of WDIV’s “Help Me Hank” Consumer Unit. Hank works to solve consumer complaints, reveal important recalls and track down thieves who have ripped off people in our community.

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.

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