Atlanta Boil Water Advisory Continues as Water Problems Persist

Atlanta residents woke up Tuesday to a boil water advisory for the fifth day as authorities — including the Army Corps of Engineers — raced to finish repairs on one of the two water pipes that burst on Friday, causing significant disruptions and outages across the city. .

Here’s what we know about Atlanta’s ongoing water crisis:

Atlanta water main breaks cause problems across city

Two water main breaks occurred Friday in Atlanta. The first occurred in downtown Atlanta and immediately caused widespread problems, affecting two area hospitals, two local jails, two stadiums, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and hundreds of homes and businesses.

Hours later, a pipe burst in the Midtown neighborhood, leaving more residents, businesses and public facilities under boil water notices and, in some cases, completely without service.

Over the next two days, the disruptions piled up. Two Megan Thee Stallion concerts scheduled for Friday and Saturday at State Farm Area have been canceled. Downtown shelters reported water outages. The Georgia Aquarium and Zoo in Atlanta has closed its doors. And the city asked residents not to drink from public fountains and to limit their use at home.

Repairs and notice lifted

On Sunday, the city announced that crews had completed repairs on the broken water main downtown, although boil water advisories were still in effect. These repairs restored service to the airport, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena, the Fulton County Jail, the City of Atlanta Detention Center, high-rise buildings and many other homes and businesses.

The next day, the City of Atlanta’s Watershed Management Department lifted the boil water advisory for the area affected by the downtown water main break. That came after officials confirmed that the area’s drinking water met or exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards, the city said in a statement.

An advisory remains in effect for Midtown and several other east Atlanta neighborhoods as of Tuesday morning. Atlanta Public Schools canceled summer school and other programs for a second day, citing “citywide water main breaks.”

What caused the water pipe to break?

Al Wiggins, Jr., commissioner of the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management, said corrosion and rot were the cause of the leak downtown, adding that it was difficult to repair because the rupture had occurred at the junction of three main water pipes.

Authorities have not provided much information about the Midtown leak, which also occurred at a major water intersection. Wiggins said at a news conference that city workers did not know what caused the break. In speaking about the ongoing repairs and disruptions to water pipes, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens pointed to “aging infrastructure.”

In a statement about the Army Corps of Engineers’ involvement in efforts to repair the Midtown leak, Dickens said, “We requested their assistance because they have the most experience in handling d a crisis like this. They will help us develop a plan to assess and evaluate our aging infrastructure.

The latest repair news

The city said Tuesday that the damaged water main causing outages and advisories in east Atlanta neighborhoods had been removed and installation of a replacement line had begun.

Around 2 a.m., crews removed the rusty pipe and began digging the hole and pumping out the excess water. Three hours later, 30-inch sections of pipe were lowered and crews began installing them onto the water system.

“Some of the remaining steps include completing the installation, making two taps and pressurizing the line,” the city said in a statement. “Thank you for your continued patience and support.”

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