The water crisis “not my fault but it’s my problem”

Watch: Mayor Dickens briefs AJC on water main break

He again responded to criticism he received regarding his absence from the city early and said he was in constant contact with watershed officials until returning from an overnight trip to Memphis, where supporters held a fundraiser for him.

“I apologize to anyone who thinks that going to Memphis or going out of town at any time is a problem,” Dickens said.

Credit: John Spink

Credit: John Spink

Credit: John Spink

Credit: John Spink

In recent days, Dickens called the mess a “wake-up call” for officials to be more proactive in monitoring the city’s aging water system, which dates back to 1875. Now that the emergency has passed and boil water notices lifted, Dickens said the city needs to address its outdated infrastructure.

“It’s not my fault but it’s my problem,” he said. “We are asking for help everywhere.”

The ordeal has disrupted visitors who found their downtown hotels without running water for a time, business owners who had to shut down or relocate operations, and residents whose children attend school summer programs public offices in Atlanta. Officials announced three straight days of cancellations before resuming normal operations on Thursday.

Maria Goenaga learned at 7:45 p.m. Sunday that her sons’ summer camp would be canceled. Luckily, she had also signed them up for a Boys & Girls Club camp.

“I’m lucky to have this available, but I know a lot of parents don’t have it,” Goenaga said. “And a phone call at 7:45 p.m. is really inappropriate.”

APS will not issue refunds, saying the cancellations were “due to a public emergency beyond our control.”

Credit: [email protected]

Credit: [email protected]

Steamhouse Lounge, a seafood restaurant located on the corner of 11th and West Peachtree streets, was finally able to reopen Thursday afternoon for the first time in five days. Outside the restaurant there was a slight smell of expired seafood. Owner Sam Weyman said garbage trucks were unable to get past the blockades to pick up the waste, leading to several days of marinated seafood in the dumpster.

Weekends are the Steamhouse Lounge’s busiest days, said general manager Danielle Jean-Baptiste, but for days all they could do was “watch water flow out of a geyser “.

On Thursday, around 2 p.m., a dozen customers occupied most of the tables on the ground floor of the restaurant. The Steamhouse Lounge parking lot and valet were still closed, so they planned to use the hotel parking lot across the street.

“I hope (customers) come and make up for what happened,” said server Pierre Harrison, who estimates he lost $500 in tips and wages after missing three days of work. “They don’t realize how much this affects us. »

Jean-Baptiste said the restaurant wants to compensate workers who missed their shifts, but the details have not yet been worked out.

Across the street, the Eleventh Street Pub was still vacant, with two of its windows boarded up. Water that has been gushing for days near the restaurant has caused flooding and broken windows.

— AJC Staff Writer Jillian Price and Audio Producer Natalie Mendenhall contributed to this report. Please return to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.

Credit: Miguel Martínez

Credit: Miguel Martínez