ATLANTA — Thousands across Atlanta are still dealing with the fallout from several key water main breaks, which led to a boil water advisory for much of the city. Crews are still working to help get water services back up and running.
For a full detailed map of neighborhoods and streets affected, click here.
Over the weekend, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens declared the City under a state of emergency following several major water main breaks that began Friday morning.
The City of Atlanta Watershed Management announced a boil advisory that includes a larger portion of the city. The advisory states that all residents who have experienced water outages and low water pressure should boil their water.
On Saturday afternoon, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens promised updates every two hours regarding the progress of repairs until all water mains are completely fixed. 11Alive is tracking those updates below and building closures around the city.
In addition, the city is encouraging folks to receive emergency alerts and updates via NotifyATL. To sign up, text "NotifyATL" to 888777 or visit atlantaga.gov/notifyatl
Helpful resources
Latest water main break updates
11:39 p.m. | 11Alive's Angelina Salcedo breaks down the timeline of Atlanta's water crisis and the ongoing impacts.
11:28 p.m. | 11Alive's Cody Alcorn is in Midtown with a rundown of how the city is reaching out to federal partners for help.
10:49 p.m. | 11Alive's Cody Alcorn provided the latest insight into what 11th St. at Peachtree Walk looks like on Monday night as crews continue repairs in the area.
Crews working to resolve water main break | 11th St and Peachtree Walk
10:13 p.m. | 11Alive's Cody Alcorn spoke to an associate professor in civil and environmental engineering at Georgia Tech named Iris Tien, who talked about the water main breaks in the city. Tien said a big part of this is the criticality of the systems and how they're aging in addition to the damages.
"I think it's kind of a wake-up call to realize what is needed and to invest in infrastructure to improve its performance over time," Tien stated. "Bringing to the forefront the importance of these systems that you may not see every day but are really critical to everyday survival."
Tien said the level of what happened with multiple breaks and the cascading effects is different than what utilities may experience from day to day. From Tien's own research, it may be beneficial to take a step back to see what can be done in terms of what's needed and what could be replaced as a way to be proactive in mitigating any potential future issues.
"It's kind of a call to action," Tien stated. "To say that we really need to invest more in these types of systems, we have to have smarter ways to manage them, be strategic about how we do maintenance and repairs and replacements of these systems on an ongoing basis."
Potentially making smaller, incremental investments over time may give a bigger overall return versus one large single response, Tien stated. It is also beneficial to look and take into account the systems from a holistic standpoint.
9:30 p.m. | On Monday, an ordinance was introduced to the Atlanta City Council committee by Councilman Matt Westmoreland that would allow the Chief Financial Officer to transfer up to $5 million to the Atlanta Development Authority doing business with Invest Atlanta to pay for a recovery fund for the city of Atlanta. Invest Atlanta would support small businesses that were impacted by the disruption of water services.
8 p.m. | Atlanta Public Schools (APS) posted an update on social media saying summer school and programs are canceled on Tuesday, June 4, due to the water main breaks.
"We appreciate your patience and understanding as we ensure the safety of our students and staff. For more information," APS added.
7:30 p.m | Here's a look at which communities continue to be impacted by Atlanta's boil water advisory.
6:53 p.m. | The City of Atlanta said watershed management officials has lifted the boil water advisory for the area affected by the water main break at Joseph E. Boone Blvd. and J.P. Brawley Dr. That advisory was issued on Friday, May 31 and is no longer in effect, officials said in the updated news release.
"Sampling has confirmed that the city’s public water may be used for all purposes and does not require boiling. The City’s drinking water meets or exceeds standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as required by the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division has been notified," officials added in the release.
The boil water advisory remains in place for the Midtown area near West Peachtree and 11th Street and neighborhoods in East Atlanta. Residents should continue to use boil water precautions. To check if your street is impacted, click here or call 311.
"We are currently coordinating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. We have sought their assistance because they have the most experience in handling a crisis like this. They will help us develop a plan to assess and evaluate our aging infrastructure," Mayor Andre Dickens said in the release.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will have boots on the ground starting on Tuesday, officials added.
6 p.m. | 11Alive continues to stay on top of the water main breaks that have popped up from downtown to Midtown. Watch the latest updates below:
5:34 p.m. | Atlanta Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari posted an update that the boil water advisory is still in effect for the area in red below:
5:15 p.m. | Atlanta Fire Rescue said residents impacted by water outages can pick up one case of water per household at the following fire stations:
5:00 p.m. | The Atlanta Watershed has announced an interruption of water service near 472 Gartrell Street SE. They said that crews turned off a six-inch main to make emergency repairs.
Officials said the outage is impacting four homes, an apartment complex and three hydrants.
4:49 p.m. | The Commissioner of Atlanta Watershed, Al Wiggins Jr., said that the part to fix the Midtown water main break came from Gwinnett County. Atlanta Police helped escort the part to speed up the process. The commissioner added that the goal is to get the part installed by nightfall on Monday.
Wiggins added that once the part is installed, they could start the pressurization process and hopefully get it fixed soon.
4:48 p.m. | The Atlanta Department of Watershed has announced that the water main on Joseph E. Boone Blvd. has passed testing, reducing the boil water advisory to a smaller area. Click here to learn where those areas are.
The department said the boil water advisory for the Midtown water main break on 11th Street and Wes Peachtree Streer remains in effect until the break is fixed and passes the test.
4:30 p.m. | 11Alive has team coverage as crews continue their repairs on the water main breaks. 11Alive's Savannah Levins has the latest from Atlanta City Council and 11Alive's Grace King has the latest on what residents should know amid the boil water advisory:
4 p.m. | The 11Alive SkyTracker flew over the Armour Dr. and Clayton Road incident scene, where water was gushing out heavily. 11Alive reached out to the Atlanta Watershed about this incident, where they said that crews were sent to investigate at 11 a.m. and that there has been no interruption of water service for residents in that area.
3:24 p.m. | Three Bright Horizons daycare centers in the are have closed due to the water main break.
3:22 p.m. | DeKalb Watershed Management has said that its teams are now repairing a broken six-inch water main on Nichols Lane near McAfee Road in unincorporated Decatur. It said some residents could be experiencing low to no water pressure. Those who are should contact the agency at 770-270-6243 or email at dekalbwaterops@dekalbcountyga.gov. It's unclear when repairs will be complete.
The 11Alive SkyTracker flew over the scene where it appears crews where crews could be seen making the repairs.
3:18 p.m. | An Atlanta Public Schools spokesperson has reported that they will postpone summer programs as long as the boil water advisory is still in effect.
1:34 p.m. | The Fulton County Library System posted on social media that its East Atlanta and West End libraries will be closed for the remainder of Monday due to ongoing water pressure issues at those locations.
1 p.m. | The Department of Watershed Management said residents in the Fairlock Lane NW area, near Collier Park, may be experiencing water disruptions as crews turn off an eight-inch main to make emergency repairs. About 20 homes and one hydrant are impacted, officials added.
12:39 p.m. | Atlanta watershed crews are investigating a potential water main break near Clayton Road NE and Armour Drive NE.
11:15 a.m. | Mayor Andre Dickens and other Atlanta officials stated that they are still working to fix the water main break situated in Midtown, adding the main priority at the moment is restoring water services to residents and businesses.
A State of Emergency is still in place, allowing the city to make purchases and adjust services as needed to tackle the issue. Mayor Dickens also stated that the boil water advisory is still in effect.
So, how long will it take to fix the Midtown break? Dickens and Atlanta Watershed officials said there is currently no official timeline. They also added that there is no reason to believe the Midtown issue is connected to the other major break that happened in Downtown over the weekend.
Atlanta Watershed noted that aging infrastructure components were likely at fault for Friday's Downtown break. However, when asked why those components had not been replaced before, Atlanta Commissioner Al Wiggins (who oversees the watershed department) stated that updating infrastructure is always a work in progress.
As for the Midtown break, Dickens said crews could finally start turning off the water at 1 a.m. on Monday. Part of the challenge with that break has apparently been that the valve to turn off the water was directly under a geyser-like spray of water coming from the pipe. Watershed officials said they also took a slow approach to tackling the Midtown problem so as not to cause additional damage. However, they hope it should be a routine repair with the water now turned off.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum also thanked Georgia State Troopers, who traveled to Alabama to retrieve a part needed to fix the break.
For the time being, Atlanta Fire said it will continue to provide water for citizens and has opened two new locations near the Midtown water break. Both are listed below in this story. Those with any issues regarding water are asked to use 311 and save 911 for emergencies.
10:30 a.m. | Officials with the City of Atlanta provide an update on ongoing repairs to the water main system.
10:00 a.m. | Another water service disruption was noted by Atlanta Watershed near West Peachtree Street NW and 11th Street NE.
8:00 a.m. | Atlanta Public Schools will not be holding summer classes today as a result of the ongoing water main issues.
Monday, 5:00 a.m. | Atlanta's Watershed Management is continuing repairs on Monday on West Peachtree St. and 11th St.
As part of the repairs, crews will shut down water in these areas:
- 11th St. from West Peachtree St. to Peachtree St.
- West Peachtree St. to 12th St.
Those in these areas who need water can visit either of these fire stations:
- Station 11 - 16th St. near Atlantic Station
- Station 15 - 10th St. near Midtown
Sunday, 11:11 p.m. | 11Alive's Tresia Bowles gives an update on the water main breaks in the city. She explains how, in one particular case, firefighters faced some difficulty with water supply while extinguishing an abandoned house fire. In general, crews continue to work to provide restoration and repairs.