Water restored in Atlanta; boil water advisory lifted – The Champion Newspaper | 404-373-7779

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced June 5 that “water services have been fully restored throughout the city,” despite a continuing boil water advisory for most DeKalb residents. Atlanta who were affected by water main breaks through June 6.

Water main breaks occurred in two parts of Atlanta starting on May 31, with crews working on repairs throughout the first days of June and a boil water advisory was issued after the breaks.

Repairs have been completed on the initial break that affected some DeKalb residents on June 1 at the intersection of E. Boone Boulevard and JP Brawley Drive, and the second break, at 11th and West Peachtree streets, near the center -city of Atlanta, was completed on June 4. according to a press release from Atlanta and Atlanta Watershed Management.

“We are pleased to announce that water service has been fully restored throughout our city. Our dedicated teams worked tirelessly to resolve the issue, and I commend them for their service,” Dickens said. “We appreciate the patience and cooperation of our residents and businesses during this difficult time. Together, we demonstrated the resilience that defines our city.

Dickens and Atlanta Watershed Management drew criticism over the weekend over water main breaks due to delayed responses to the public, going nearly 14 hours without an update on May 31 and June 1. At a press conference on June 1, Dickens told reporters that the Atlanta Watershed will provide regular updates on social media during the remainder of the crisis.

Dickens also declared a state of emergency and said he had coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for assistance in replacing broken water pipes.

According to the Atlanta Watershed Management website, the city experiences up to 30 water main breaks and other emergency repairs each month, with many of the city’s water mains classified in the century-old club.

DeKalb officials sent water trucks to the city of Atlanta and distributed water to DeKalb-Atlanta residents affected by major breaks before water was restored. However, DeKalb County has reported two water main breaks since June 1, with crews making different repairs at Nichols Road and Candler Road in Decatur.

While the DeKalb breaks were a fraction of the size of the Atlanta breaks, measuring only six and 12 inches compared to the 36 and 48 inch breaks reported in Atlanta, approximately 15,000 DeKalb residents lost weight. water and faced a boil water advisory after a main fire. break near Scott Boulevard in February.

DeKalb’s infrastructure battles have prompted DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond to call for an increase in water and sewer rates to help pay for a multibillion-dollar repair to the sewer system, citing its age and DeKalb’s growing population. Thurmond focused much of his first tenure as CEO on water and sewer issues in DeKalb.