And here lies the consequences of having century-old infrastructure: The unrelenting cold weather is wreaking havoc on Detroit's water pipes, causing them to burst and trap a bunch of hapless vehicles around the city.
There have been two major incidences so far — on one the east side, the other on the west, a total of four blocks across 139 square miles (hold your "Detroit is completely flooded!" comments) — that have caused massive problems for residents and utility workers. However, as The Detroit News points out, there have been 500 smaller breaks in January alone.
The most recent break was a 30-inch water main cracking open that has caused some of the flooding to freeze.
The breaks, in pipes that are about 100 years old, come at a time when Detroit's emergency manager is pitching a sale of the city's water department and a proposal to have the department shared across all the counties it serves. Noted Detroit hater Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson has already said his county wants no parts of the deal.