Collapse of Atlanta's water system continues for third day

The collapse of water infrastructure in Atlanta, Georgia, which began Friday and left much of the city without water, expanded Sunday with two more ruptures under investigation by officials of the water department.

THE Constitution of the Atlanta newspaper reported Sunday that the water department warned residents and businesses near Euclid and North avenues northeast of downtown and near 1190 Atlantic Drive NW north of downtown. He said they would “likely experience the kind of disruptions that have hit Atlanta since the first water main break was discovered Friday.”

Workers respond to a broken water transmission line Saturday, June 1, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens declared a state of emergency in the city during a press conference Saturday evening after massive water service disruption resulted in a boil water advisory from the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management. Dickens said the city was “working around the clock to bring us clean water to the city of Atlanta.”

The water main collapse that disrupted water service throughout downtown Atlanta began after corroded 48- and 36-inch pipes burst Friday at the intersection of three water mains. main waters of the city. The city of Atlanta released a map showing a large area of the city affected by the collapse.

Hours passed before the city made any announcements about what was happening or when the water would be restored. The city’s water service interruption map identifies where the breaks occurred and simply states: “Crews are investigating a potential water main break…” with no further information.

The water main failure affected Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, government facilities in Fulton County and Atlanta, as well as Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena. High-rise apartment buildings were also left without water pressure.

Businesses were forced to close their doors or reduce services on what would have been a busy Saturday in the city. Major events, including concerts and sporting events, were canceled and hotel guests were forced to use bottled water in their rooms or leave early.

Company owner Emily Chan said Atlanta First Draft, “As a business with a City of Atlanta Watershed account, we have received NO emails, texts or communications. We only received communications through social media posts that people shared.

Emory University Hospital in Midtown told media Saturday that it had been forced to move patients and divert ambulances due to the crisis. A Constitution of the journal According to the report, “the situation became so serious by Saturday afternoon that the hospital – which has about 500 inpatients – does not even have enough water pressure to flush toilets and is forced to rely on bottled water for all their water needs. »

Dr. Adam Webb, Emory Midtown’s chief operating officer, said, “Healthcare is challenging enough to care for patients in a hospital and, add to that, not having water , not being able to flush the toilet and other things. Disturbing things at home are a real challenge and make the job even more complex.

Ten patients requiring dialysis – a process that depends on water pressure – were transferred to other Emory hospitals for treatment.

City residents were outraged by the system’s failure and the city’s lack of information about the crisis. Posts posted by residents on the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management page revealed both the lack of government response and the negligence behind the collapse.

Kelly Hughes said: “This is what happens when you fail to maintain infrastructure and keep adding new users to an existing system. Increasing the water pressure to try to keep up with new buildings was a surefire way to start causing problems…we have been complaining for YEARS about this problem, only to be ignored by the city government. city.

Responding to the city’s abysmal response to the crisis, Jessica James commented on Sunday: “How can we expect families still without water to be able to flush toilets, cook and stay hydrated on just one case of water? ‘water ? Do we provide flushing water in addition to drinking water? I’m grateful that my water is available again, but there are residents (who) have been without running water since Friday morning and continue to not have running water. Drinking water is important but it’s not the only function of indoor plumbing! »

Katie Robertson added: “What is the plan for these 80 year old pipes? They only last 53 years! Why are they not replaced and maintained? You are wasting water and money with these breaks. Roll up your sleeves and get to work on a long-term solution, not a band-aid.

The failure of Atlanta’s water system is the latest in a growing series of events in the United States that expose the decrepit state of infrastructure and the refusal of the ruling political establishment and elite of the business world to do anything about it. This follows the collapse of the water system in Jackson, Mississippi, after storm-related flooding, and the crisis in Flint, Michigan, in which thousands of adults and children have been poisoned by lead in water.

Essential services such as water and electricity are failing at an increasing rate due to the lack of resources made available to upgrade systems that are in some cases a century or more old. For the ruling class, spending time and money on modernizing these systems means diverting resources from the accumulation of personal wealth and vast fortunes. Meanwhile, any work that is done to repair the systems will be paid for by the public in the form of service rates and tax increases. This money will not come out of the pockets of the rich.

In the case of Atlanta, the original water infrastructure dates from 1875, when the city had a population of 22,000. The 36-inch water mains were first installed in 1907 and the 48-inch water mains were built in 1924. According to a 2018 report on Atlanta’s aging water infrastructure, ” the city’s water mains were renewed with cement lining in the 1950s.

Despite these well-known facts, little action has been taken to resolve the problem. In 2018, the city announced a paltry $300 million water program to upgrade its water infrastructure. So far, the only project we’re working on is a five-mile, 10-foot-diameter, multi-year transmission line and the conversion of an abandoned quarry into a reservoir.

As the water system continued to collapse over the decades, Atlanta became a destination for the financial elite. Atlanta is one of a handful of American cities, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas, where billionaires live.

There are 13 billionaires living in Atlanta, including Jim Kennedy ($8.2 billion net worth), Cox Communications heir; Dan and Bubba Cathy of Chick-fil-A (combined net worth of $8.3 billion); and Arthur Blank ($7 billion net worth), co-founder of Home Depot and owner of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. Meanwhile, Atlanta also has some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country, such as Tuxedo Park, where the median home value is $3.7 billion.

The collapse of the water system is part of America’s aging infrastructure. According to statistics from a 2023 Utah State University study, 260,000 water main breaks in the United States and Canada cost $2.6 billion each year. The study indicates that 33 percent of water mains in the United States and Canada are more than 50 years old.

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