State of emergency declared in Atlanta after water main rupture

Atlanta is recovering two days after a broken water main interrupted water supplies to much of the city, prompting the mayor to declare a state of emergency and forcing a major hospital to divert ambulances and to move patients.

The culprit, at least in part, was aging and corroded infrastructure, Mayor Andre Dickens said in his emergency declaration.

This problem and others took out a 46-inch line and a 36-inch transmission line downtown, as well as the one in Midtown. Slowed or cut off water supplies affected everything from Grady Hospital and Emory University Hospital in Midtown to State Farm Arena, where Megan Thee Stallion’s Friday and Saturday shows were canceled.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was also affected, according to CNN, and the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola were closed Saturday.

The Atlanta City Detention Center, Fulton County Jail and local shelters were also affected, as were most of the city’s residents. The outage began Friday morning at the junction of three major water mains just west of downtown, Department of Watershed Management Commissioner Al Wiggins Jr. said Saturday. Repairs have been completed Saturday night.

Authorities weren’t sure what caused the third rupture in the Midtown neighborhood, which is full of new high-rises housing offices, hotels and apartments. That leak was still releasing water Sunday, city officials said.

Emory University Hospital in Midtown had to transfer dialysis patients Saturday and divert ambulances, except for those transporting patients with urgent heart problems, officials said. There wasn’t enough water pressure to flush the toilet and the hospital had to use bottled water, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Around 5,000 patients are hospitalized there.

Maintaining the cooling systems required 58,000 gallons of water delivered by six tanker trucks, a spokesperson said.

City workers handed out cases of water and provided portable toilets at city fire stations.

A boil water advisory remained in effect Sunday for the Atlanta metro area »out of great caution” said the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management.

“I know this has been a difficult and frustrating day for many of you, but I am pleased to have some positive news to report this evening,” Dickens said at a press conference Saturday evening, announcing that one of the two major ruptures had been repaired.

With news feed services