Bitter cold temperatures have wreaked havoc on Detroit’s water infrastructure, with city crews working around the clock to repair 51 water main breaks that have turned neighborhood streets into treacherous sheets of ice and left some vehicles frozen in place.
Gary Brown, director of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, described the situation Tuesday as “historic” for the region, with the deep freeze expected to continue for another week to 10 days.
The breaks have transformed city streets into what officials describe as “frozen rivers,” creating dangerous conditions for residents and drivers across Detroit’s east side and other areas.
Most breaks are minor, but impact is widespread
While DWSD officials said most of the 51 breaks are minor, the frigid temperatures have caused the flowing water to immediately freeze on contact with pavement, creating hazardous ice sheets. Brown said crews are aiming to repair at least 20 breaks each day, with workers from the Department of Public Works called in to clear drains before repairs can begin.
“We’re asking people to be patient. We can’t get to everyone at the same time, but we’re going to make sure people have water and that we get the streets cleared and that everybody’s safe,” Brown said.
Brown emphasized that there have been no reports of homes losing water service, and residents without water will be the priority for repairs throughout the process.
Residents trapped by ice sheets
According to WXYZ, residents on Detroit’s east side were left dealing with dangerous, ice-covered streets after water from broken mains flooded roadways and quickly froze amid subzero temperatures. On Laing Street near Britain Avenue, water poured into the street overnight, surrounding multiple vehicles and turning the block into a sheet of ice.
WXYZ reported that a nurse identified as Brandy became stuck in her vehicle during her 2:30 a.m. lunch break after turning onto the street and not initially seeing the water or ice. Water rose to her tires, leaving her trapped for more than an hour as she kept her car running to stay warm.
“I’m just frustrated — just frustrated. It’s late. I’m trying to get back to work, and I’m just a little frustrated,” Brandy told WXYZ.
Other residents also described being iced in by the flooding. Tyrese Jordan, who moved to the neighborhood last year, told WXYZ the conditions made it difficult to leave home or travel safely.
“It’s crazy because you can’t get out of your house. You can’t even drive your car,” Jordan said.
Longtime resident Aaron Passmore, who has lived in the area for nearly 40 years, told WXYZ that while flooding and water main breaks are not uncommon, the severity of this incident stood out. He said residents stayed awake monitoring their basements as water continued to flow into the street.
“We’re surprised that it was to this extent,” Passmore said. “We seem ignored.”
The water main breaks come as Southeast Michigan battles a brutal cold snap, with wind chills well below zero prompting a cold weather advisory across the region. The extreme temperatures have forced hundreds of schools to close in recent days.
“This is historic” freeze challenges infrastructure
Brown described the prolonged cold snap affecting the Detroit metro area as unprecedented, saying the region is experiencing a deep freeze expected to last another week to 10 days.
“This is historic, regionally, to have this deep of a freeze for this long of a time because it looks like it’s going to go on another week, maybe 10 days,” Brown said.
Detroit’s water system spans more than 2,700 miles of water mains, and city officials have long acknowledged the challenges of maintaining and upgrading aging infrastructure across the system. Extreme cold places additional strain on pipes, increasing the likelihood of breaks as temperatures remain well below normal.
Recent winters have demonstrated how vulnerable water infrastructure can be during prolonged cold spells. In February 2025, a large transmission main built in the 1930s ruptured in southwest Detroit, flooding multiple blocks and impacting hundreds of residents.
Repair work continues across the city
For the time being, repair efforts are expected to continue as crews work through the existing water main breaks. City officials said crews will prioritize repairs that affect residential water service, urging residents to report any loss of water so those cases can be addressed as quickly as possible.
With wind chills expected to stay well below zero across Southeast Michigan for at least another week, officials warned that the prolonged cold will continue to place stress on the system, increasing the likelihood of additional breaks in the days ahead. Crews are monitoring conditions closely and, as needed, are standing by to respond as new problems are reported.