Atlanta fixes major water leaks that persisted over the weekend

Atlanta repaired a damaged water main Monday, taking a big step toward solving widespread water problems that have plagued parts of the city since Friday evening.

The city made repairs Monday using parts that had to be imported from Alabama.

A boil water advisory was still in effect for thousands of residents Monday. Some of the city’s tallest buildings remained closed because the water pressure was too low to operate their plumbing.

Burst pipes caused major leaks in Atlanta’s water mains near downtown last Friday and were repaired Saturday. Then another leak occurred when a pipe burst near downtown, which continued to spill water until repairs on Monday.

Officials say corroded infrastructure led to the first leak. It’s unclear what exactly caused the second leak. Repairs were made difficult due to confined spaces and high-pressure water cutting off access to the shut-off valves. In the city center, workers had to dig new access holes a block away to shut off the water.

Officials also did not give a timetable for when water service would be fully restored, nor did they provide an estimate of how many people might have been affected.

“We are focused on this issue and my administration understands how critical water is to our lifeline in this city,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Monday.

Dickens declared a state of emergency in order to more quickly have the resources needed to repair the damage. Firefighters were handing out bottled water Monday, including to Marie Moore, whose high-rise building lost water pressure.

Moore said she wants Atlanta to devote more federal resources to its infrastructure problems.

“It feels like everything is falling apart,” she said.