ATLANTA — Atlanta city leaders gathered at City Hall on Tuesday to address recent disruptions caused by multiple water main breaks. The discussion centered on potential solutions and preventative measures to ensure the city's water infrastructure remains reliable.
Atlanta City Council Member Antonio Lewis emphasized the urgency of the issue.
“We need to tackle the root cause of the city’s water main breaks,” he stated.
The first incident, which occurred on May 21, affected small businesses across Atlanta for several days. More recently, a water main break on July 4 left Buckhead residents without water, impacting many on the holiday.
Devin Barrington-Ward was among the three public speakers urging city leaders to address what he described as a critical issue.
“We know this has the potential to happen again,” Barrington-Ward said, questioning the preparations being made to prevent future incidents.
He highlighted that since 2022, there has been an increase in water loss within the system.
"I have not seen the numbers for 2023," he said.
The water advisory committee noted that the Army Corps of Engineers is already assessing the city’s infrastructure, a project expected to take 18 months. In the meantime, the city has implemented artificial intelligence sensors to detect areas in critical need of repair.
“These sensors will give us early warnings about small cracks that could become leaks,” explained a committee member. “We’re looking at this matrix of pipe age and criticality. For example, if there’s a very old pipe supplying a hospital, we’re not going to wait for the Army Corps of Engineers to go out and do the fieldwork.”
Despite these efforts, both council members and the public remain concerned about the timeline and effectiveness of these measures. The city's full assessment, in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers, is expected to take more than a year.