ATLANTA — Following two major water main breaks on Friday in Atlanta, many households and businesses in Midtown and Downtown are without water, but repairs are being made, according to officials.
Atlanta Department of Watershed Management said the water main breaks happened when three different lines came together, carrying a large amount of water into the city to different areas. This caused water outages and low water pressure throughout a large swath of the midtown/downtown areas.
Crews have been working nonstop since then to fix the issue, but there's still no timeline for when everything will be restored. Here are the latest updates on the water main break.
Saturday, June 1
2:32 p.m. | Atlanta Mayor Dickens said there have been setbacks in repairs and that there's still no timeline on when water will be restored to residents. Atlanta Watershed said the sections of pipes they are working to fix are at least 80 years old.
The mayor apologized for the city's lack of communication and stated that regular updates about the repairs would be given going forward.
"I will be candid; we have not done a good job at communication," he said.
Re-Watch here.
2:11 p.m. | Atlanta Mayor Dickens is speaking at the water main break location on Joseph E. Boone Boulevard NW and James P. Brawley Drive with Atlanta Police and Atlanta Fire Rescue to speak about repairs to the water main breaks.
Rewatch the conference below
1:29 p.m. | Residents impacted by the water main break can pick up one case of water at the following locations, according to a post from the city on Facebook.
- Station 1-71 Elliot St
- Station 2- 1568 Jonesboro Rd
- Station 10-447 Boulevard
- Station 16-1048 Joseph E Boone Blvd
1:19 p.m. | The watershed department has extended the water boil advisory to include a larger portion of the city of Atlanta, stating that all residents who have experienced water outages and low water pressure should boil their water.
12:42 p.m. | Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is expected to speak about updates regarding water main repairs at 2 p.m.
11:04 a.m. | A representative reached out to 11Alive on Saturday, stating the Children's Museum Atlanta would be closed due to the water main breaks. A post was also made on its Facebook page. For a full list of closing head here.
10:28 a.m. | Atlanta Watershed Management Commissioner Al Wiggins Jr. spoke to the public on Saturday and provided the following updates:
- "Significant progress" has been made on repairs to the water main break at the intersections of Joseph E. Boone Boulevard and J.P. Brawley Drive. Crews said there's still no timeline for when water will be restored.
- The boil water advisory is still in effect.
- The Fulton City Jail is operational.
- Grady Memorial and Emory Hospitals are fully operational. Grady stated they are still experiencing low water pressure but are accepting patients.
Wiggins also stated there was no impact to 911. Anyone who needs help and is not in an emergency situation is asked to contact ATL 311. Water management also wants residents to know that for crews to enter the construction hole, they must empty enough water out to enter.
No updates were provided about the second break at West Peachtree Street Northwest.
Rewatch the update below:
9:30 a.m. | Nearly 10 libraries in Fulton County will be closed Saturday due to the water main break. The locations are:
- Auburn Avenue Research
- Central
- East Atlanta
- Kirkwood
- Louise Watley @ Southeast
- Mechanicsville
- Metropolitan
- Washington Park
- West End
8:30 a.m. | Georgia Aquarium said it would be closing for the day while the city addressed the break.
Zoo Atlanta informed members that advising them that the location would not have water fountains and refill stations available. The zoo also stated it would not be selling fountain drinks and some other concessions.
More on the water main break
It all started early Friday, just after 8 a.m. when a break happened in the Vine City neighborhood near the intersection of Joseph E. Boone Boulevard NW and James P. Brawley Drive.
Boil water advisory still in effect
Following the recent water main break, the city's boil water advisory remains in effect. Residents are reminded to boil their water for at least one minute before using it for drinking, cooking, or brushing their teeth to avoid potential contamination. The advisory, which was put in place as a precautionary measure, will remain until water quality tests confirm that the supply is safe for consumption.
Water main break continues to impact businesses
Businesses in the area, including restaurants and retail stores, are still experiencing water outages, which are severely impacting their operations. Customers are advised to check with individual businesses for updates on their status.