Atlanta water crisis: Thousands head into fourth day of boil water advisory

A boil water advisory remained in effect across much of Atlanta Monday morning as summer school programs were canceled, after repair crews battled several burst water pipes. water over the weekend.

The problems began on Friday, with two water main pipes breaking early and late in the day, leaving many residents without drinking or running water.

Other smaller breaks left repair crews overburdened when they appeared Saturday and Sunday, with the city’s mayor declaring a state of emergency and Atlanta Watershed Management issuing boil water notices.

“To the people of Atlanta: we are working on this to solve this problem,” Mayor Andre Dickens said in a video on X Monday morning. “Thank you for your patience! I know this situation is very frustrating.”

The mayor had come under fire over the weekend for the time it took to make emergency repairs to pipelines in the downtown and downtown areas.

He was in Memphis when the problem began, but has since been accompanied by repair crews and given several updates to residents.

The city faced widespread disruption due to water main breaks, which affected shelters, hospitals and schools, as well as homes.

On Sunday evening, Atlanta Public Schools canceled its summer school program, saying in a statement that they would “meet again once boil water advisories are lifted.”

This boil water advisory covered much of central Atlanta, with residents urged to bring water to a boil for at least a minute before using it, or to use bottled water .

As of Monday morning, some repairs had been made, but residents were again warned of a loss of water as crews continued to work on issues, as water was still gushing from a burst pipe on West Peachtree Street.

The Atlanta airport, the Fulton County jail and several high-rise buildings found water again Sunday evening, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Grady Memorial Hospital was able to fully resume operations once repairs were completed.

“We will continue to provide bottled water to patients and staff while we remain under a boil water advisory,” the hospital announced on X. “All appointments, procedures and surgical operations of patients resume their normal activities on Monday, June 3.”

Fulton County libraries have also returned to their regular hours, along with other county facilities, but water fountains will remain prohibited, local officials said.

The World of Coca-Cola is open and offering visitors discounts at the iconic museum amid the notice that closed the Taste! and beverage lab tasting experiences.

As of Monday morning, it was still unclear when the boil water advisory would be lifted.