Updated

The new public works commissioner in a suburban Detroit county is declaring "all hands on deck" to fix a broken sewer line that has created a major sinkhole and forced the evacuation of 22 homes.

Former U.S. Rep. Candice Miller used her first day in office Sunday to urge Macomb County residents to reduce water consumption while crews create a bypass to get around the bad pipe. The short-term fix could take a month.

During a news conference at the sinkhole site in Fraser, Miller said she doesn't have all the answers but promised "transparency."

The sinkhole was discovered Dec. 24, just weeks after Miller was elected to lead the county's public works department. Three homes likely are beyond repair, though residents in 19 homes could return in a week.