Stellantis is telling employees in Auburn Hills and Orion Township to return to work on Thursday, May 14, after water restrictions were lifted.
The city of Auburn Hills declared a state of emergency and issued a mandatory boil water advisory. The City of Rochester Hills and the northern section of Auburn Hills were advised to use water only for essential reasons such as “hydration, food preparation and basic sanitation.”
The emergency was expected to last for up to two weeks. Employees had been working from home since May 11.
But the GLWA said on May 13 that the water main is back in service, providing water at “normal pressures” to affected communities. However, boil water advisories remain in place for residents and businesses in Orion Township, the Village of Lake Orion, northern Auburn Hills and the northwest corner of Rochester Hills as communities work to flush their plumbing systems.
News that the water issues have been rectified prompted Stellantis to reverse its previous guidance that only employees working in critical or essential areas were expected to report to work.
Stellantis spokeswoman Jodi Tinson told the Detroit Free Press in an email that water at headquarters had been tested, and that the results were normal and that there were no lingering impacts from the breach.
“Stellantis’ Chrysler Technology Center, Chrysler Office Building, Featherstone Road Engineering Center, Quality Engineering Center, and Lapeer Road Marshalling Center will resume normal operations on Thursday, May 14,” the company said in a statement. “All employees should report to their respective locations as scheduled.”
Free Press staff writers Julie Hinds and Natalie Davies contributed to this report.
Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Reach her at jcharniga@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Stellantis tells employees to go back to office after water emergency
Reporting by Jackie Charniga, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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