SYLVAN TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Residents in one Washtenaw County town are being told not to drink the water after a break-in at a water treatment facility.
Background: Sylvan Township issues ‘Do Not Drink Water’ advisory after water treatment plant vandalized
It happened in Sylvan Township, just west of Chelsea, near the Jackson County line.
“The plant has been here 25 years and this is the first time we’ve had a break-in,” said Robert Scull, with the Department of Public Works. “It could’ve been far worse.”
Sylvan Township water plant workers arrived Monday morning to find graffiti spray painted all over the facility, but that wasn’t the only damage done. Scull said the suspect also poured some cement down the drains and adjusted some of the electrical connections.
Michigan State Police said the suspect -- a 33-year-old man from Belleville -- gained entry by cutting through a barbed wire fence and spray painted over the windows to not be seen inside.
“We have no evidence that anything was tampered with as far as the treatment process,” Scull said.
Still, the breach was concerning enough that officials issued an advisory to residents as a precaution. While there’s no visual evidence the water was contaminated, authorities need to run tests to confirm its safety.
“This is a Do Not Drink Advisory, meaning you can flush the toilet, do laundry but nothing else is allowed,” Scull said.
Roughly 300 homes in Sylvan Township are under the advisory and the township is distributing bottled water in the meantime.