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Vine City water main repair complete, Midtown break remains unresolved

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Mayor Andre Dickens provides an update on Atlanta’s water crisis on the evening of June 1. (Screenshot)

Atlanta Department of Watershed Management crews have repaired a major pipe break in Vine City, but a second main break in Midtown continues to worsen the city’s water problems.

At a news conference Saturday evening, Mayor Andre Dickens said crews finished repairing the break Friday morning at the intersection of Joseph E. Boone Boulevard and James P. Brawley Parkway.

Dickens said some customers should already have water and others will soon as pressure slowly builds back up across the network. A boil water advisory remains in effect.

Another major water main break at 11th and West Peachtree streets, which occurred later Friday, is proving more difficult to repair. At the time of the news conference, crews had not found the valve to turn off the water and allow them to inspect the site, Watershed Commissioner Al Wiggins said.

“This situation was a bit difficult because our goal was to always minimize the impact of the break. So currently we are trying to identify a strategy to isolate the area right around the break,” Wiggins said.

“We do not yet have an estimated timeline for this work, but (crews) are currently working feverishly to complete it,” Dickens said.

Just before 11:30 Saturday night, Atlanta Watershed released a statement that repair work was finally underway on the Midtown break.

Dickens also, the city is now under a state of emergency. This designation gives municipal officials the green light to purchase equipment and contract services needed to repair water mains.

He also acknowledged how frustrating the situation was for people, especially those planning to attend Megan Thee Stallion’s twice-canceled concert at State Farm Arena. According to a post on the arena’s website, both shows are scheduled to take place Sunday evening and Monday evening.

“I know there are a lot of conference attendees, a lot of visitors, residents and individuals who were going to a concert and those fans are unhappy right now,” the mayor said.

“This type of disruption is certainly uncomfortable and unpredictable, and we completely understand your frustration. But today we had to prioritize fixing the brakes and ensuring the safety of people around Atlanta,” he said.

As the city struggles to get water back to taps, the outage has also forced the closure of many restaurants and businesses across the city. On Saturday afternoon, Emory Midtown Hospital had to divert emergency room arrivals and send some patients to other hospitals.

The water main breaks at 11th and West Peachtree at 4 p.m. on June 1. (Photo by Beth McKibben)

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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