Water Problems in Atlanta | Relief payments for businesses passed

ATLANTA — Help may be on the way for Atlanta businesses facing lost revenue from recent water main breaks that caused damage and forced some to close their doors weeks ago.

Today, the Atlanta City Council plans to pass $5 million in aid for small business owners. The final amount of expenses is not yet final. The proposal to provide $5 million in relief passed in committee and awaits a vote by the full City Council on Monday, June 17.

Devin Barrington-Ward, the director of the Black Futurist Group, proposed the $5 million relief fund to the city council days after the water crisis.

Affected businesses can begin applying for funds that would help recoup losses through Invest Atlanta on June 24.

The City of Atlanta and Invest Atlanta have launched a landing page for business owners to apply for relief.

Although applications will not go live until June 24, business owners should plan to attend the informational webinar on Monday, June 17 at 5 p.m. Click here to register for the webinar.

Invest Atlanta has released criteria for small business owners to be eligible for the relief.

Here are the eligibility requirements, according to their website:

• Businesses must have a verifiable address within the Boil Water Impact Notice area.
• The website also says priority will be given to restaurants, beauty salons, daycares and other “most directly affected industries.”
• Authorities will also prioritize those that have been impacted and/or closed for several days.
• The business must also be registered with the Georgia Secretary of State and have an active business license from the City of Atlanta.

See a map of affected areas below.

Small business owners should check the website to see what documents they need to gather for their application.

Applications will close on July 8.