U.S. Army Corps of Engineers arrives in Atlanta to advise on water emergency

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers arrived in Atlanta on Tuesday to help advise Mayor Andre Dickens and the city regarding the water emergency.

“We are here to provide support whenever a local community or state needs our support. We are here to answer the call,” said Col. Matthew McCulley of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

McCulley said Crops brought in specialists from their offices in Savannah and Mobile, Alabama, on Tuesday.

The technical engineering and planning team will be in Atlanta through the end of the week.

McCulley said the team will provide technical advice to the mayor on how to handle water system issues.

“You really have to look at what the problems are with the infrastructure system as a whole and what courses of action they might take in the long term,” McCulley said.

RELATED: Atlanta’s water pipes would cost “billions” and take years to replace, city leaders say.

McCulley said its field offices in Atlanta also had to be closed due to water outages in much of the city.

Dickens said he appealed for their help at an Atlanta City Council meeting Monday.

RELATED: Everything We Know About Atlanta’s Water Main Breaks; Boil water advisory map

Tuesday marks the fifth day since major water main breaks were first reported in Atlanta.

Many areas of the city, including Midtown, are still under a boil water advisory through Tuesday evening.

In a press release issued Tuesday, the Corps said it is working with the city to study the viability of a state planning assistance study to conduct a comprehensive physical and operational assessment of the entire system Atlanta Water Supply.

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