DETROIT (FOX 2) – The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) is dealing with dozens of water main breaks around the city as a cold snap continues.

Gary Brown, the DWSD director, said Tuesday morning that there were “at least a couple dozen” water main breaks.

Water main break flooding:

At least three of those water main breaks led to flooding, which then resulted in frozen streets.

People on Laing near Britain, not far from Morang, have reportedly been complaining about a water main break since Monday, and 911 dispatchers have fielded calls about vehicles stuck in the ice and water.

Another water main break flooded about ⅔ of Bringard near Barlow, which is south of Eight Mile, before freezing.

Also on the east side, a water main break with less severe flooding was reported on Dequindre near State Fair.

What they’re saying:

“This is historic, regionally, to have this deep of a freeze for this long of a period of time,” Brown said.

According to Brown, the breaks have been the result of frigid temperatures and shifting.

Dozens of water main breaks reported in Detroit

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department is going to be busy Tuesday, handling dozens of water main breaks around the city. Department director Gary Brown said a historic deep freeze is leading to a high number of breaks all at once. 

What’s next:

Brown said the department is prioritizing which breaks get repaired first. 

“The prioritization is any person or street that may be completely out of water,” he said, noting that as of Monday night, no residents were out of water.

While crews work to repair the breaks, the water department is urging residents to be patient.

“When you’ve got 30 or 40 water main breaks, we can’t get to everyone at the same time,” Brown said.

Tickets for the show go on sale Friday.

Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire will “Sing a Song All Night Long” when they bring their joint tour to Little Caesars Arena July 1, promoters announced Monday.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, and Citi presales start at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The show is part of a joint 26-city tour that kicks off June 24 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and wraps Aug. 14 in Austin, Texas.

The show will mark Richie’s first Detroit performance since a 2019 concert at the then-DTE Energy Music Theatre. Earth, Wind & Fire performed at the Fox Theatre in Detroit in August 2025.

agraham@detroitnews.com