‘It's business as usual’ for Lakeport campground, Burtchville businesses amid boil water order

Ongoing water issues in Burtchville Township may not be plaguing visitors checking out nearby businesses and the local campground as residents headed into the fifth day under a boil water order Wednesday.

“We normally bring our own drinking water anyway, so for us it was OK,” said camper Judy Dennis, referencing five two-gallon water jugs.

Visiting from Bloomfield Township, she was among the visitors hanging out at the Lakeport State Park campground, where unit supervisor Mark Sine said he didn’t expect the boil advisory still in effect for seven communities in four counties, including Burtchville, to deter many registered campers this coming weekend.

Although visitors were starting to taper off with the final days of summer, Sine said they’re still seeing plenty of people take advantage of the campground off M-25 with 150 sites occupied about every day and the campground's 250 camps and three cabins reaching capacity on the weekend.

Still, he added, “Obviously, the phone has been ringing a lot with questions about the status.”

Thousands of residents and businesses were impacted when the Great Lakes Water Authority reported a massive break of a 120-inch water main pumping finished drinking water from its Lake Huron Water Treatment Facility early Saturday.

Burtchville is the only community customer in St. Clair County, but the township’s been enveloped in the boil water order because of an initial drop in water pressure and state of emergency since.

Sine said it’s seemed like the order has been affecting people at home more than visitors to the park, adding the township has been bringing them bottled water, “which has been very helpful, and so far, people have been very understanding.”

“All of our facilities are open, like our shower buildings, our bathroom buildings,” he said. “We’re just posting notices and signs everywhere to let people know the advisory is in effect (and) not to consume the water unless you’re boiling the water. … Other than that, it’s business as usual.”

Others also ‘hardly notice the issue,’ while businesses do their part

Tally Ho Bar and Grill owner William Bajis was enjoying a drink midday Wednesday.

The 82-year-old establishment is on Lakeshore Road across from Burtchville’s township park, and while business was slow, Bajis said, “We’re doing our part” to deal with the boil water order.

“(The) health department gave out a bulletin that we have to boil all our water and give out bottled water,” he said. They’re additionally buying bags of ice to accommodate the issue, which he said was “just adding on to expenses.”

Back at the state park campground, a couple visitors recalled being informed ahead of time about Saturday’s water main break and the boil order.

“I hardly notice the issue,” said Margo Osterman, also of Bloomfield Township.

“The park system is really good,” Dennis said. Referring to her husband Mike, she said, “They emailed him and called (to say) to be prepared.”

But Judy Dennis admitted, “I did brush my teeth with the sink water, and I forgot.”

The group arrived early this week and were staying until Friday.

Sine said they thought it was important to get messages out to people ahead of time.

“When the leak occurred in their piping system, we lost water pressure and most of the water starting Saturday morning. It was around five o’clock,” he said. “(We) didn’t have water (until) around eight in the evening.”

GLWA reported they expect it to take until early September, or three weeks from the main break Saturday, to bring water service back on the affected 26-mile, dewatered pipeline that runs through northern St. Clair County. It wasn’t clear if the boil water order would last the total three weeks.

The investigation into the cause of the half-century-old water main remains underway, while crews await additional replacement infrastructure expected to arrive next week.

For more information, visit https://www.glwater.org.

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Contact Sergio Montanez at spoveda@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: ‘It's business as usual’ for Lakeport campground, businesses amid boil order