Water Crisis | Many of Atlanta’s Pipelines Predate World War II

ATLANTA — At least 13% of Atlanta’s water mains were installed before 1941, and more than 5% of all pipes were placed in the ground more than a century ago, according to data shared with the Atlanta City Council at a work session this week.

Atlanta officials are developing a strategy for decades of work to maintain, replace and modernize the city’s aging water infrastructure after a days-long crisis from late May to early June left thousands of residents and businesses without reliable service.

“This is a problem that has been brewing for a long time,” said Peter Aman, chief strategy officer for Mayor Andre Dickens’ office, during Tuesday’s work session. “While it’s not a problem that this council or this administration created, it’s a problem that all of us have to solve and put the city on a solid foundation for reliable service and future growth.”

On May 31, two major water mains burst at James P. Brawley Drive and Joseph E. Boone Boulevard in Vine City and at West Peachtree and 11th Street in Midtown. A boil water advisory remained in effect across much of the city for several days, leading city officials to set aside $7.5 million for small businesses affected by the disruption.

Both incidents involved aging pipelines, one installed in 1910 and the other in 1930. A valve removed from the Midtown site dates back to the 1920s.