A Belleville man is facing charges after he allegedly broke into the Sylvan Township water treatment plant in Washtenaw County. Michigan State Police have accused Matthew Gary Tieppo, 33, of entering and vandalizing the facility, actions that led authorities to advise residents not to drink the tap water until safety could be assured. Tieppo was charged with breaking a building with intent, trespassing upon a key facility, and malicious destruction of a building, with damage estimated between $1,000 to $20,000, as reported by WWJ Newsradio.
Allegedly disrupting the plant's operation, Tieppo was accused of having poured cement down drains and spray-painted windows. According to FOX 2 Detroit, officials were able to expedite a new batch of chemicals to the treatment plant as they were unsure if current supplies were compromised. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) also advised the water in the tower to be purged as a precautionary measure.
The incident prompted the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office to quickly issue a "do not drink water advisory" for those receiving municipal water from the affected plant. Robert Scull, the administrator of Sylvan Township's Department of Public Works, highlighted the necessity of extensive system checks before normal operations could resume. He stated, "They flipped switches – turned things on and off," indicating the potential risks such tampering poses to the water supply, as per Hoodline.
Tieppo's bond was set at $25,000 cash or surety, and water testing conducted post-incident has reportedly come back clean. A probable cause conference for Tieppo is scheduled for July 18, as per FOX 2 Detroit.
