ATLANTA — Thousands across Atlanta continue to deal with the fallout from several key water main breaks, which led to a boil water advisory for parts of the city.
Midtown residents, in particular, expressed their frustrations to 11Alive on Monday. But amidst all the concerns, there was an overall gratefulness for community support in the area.
For example, resident Debra Burse said she's thankful for the support she's been receiving in her community, as she and her grandbabies wouldn't be doing well without it. A water main break at the intersection of 11th Street NE and West Peachtree Street NW has left them with periods of no water. The city said it was unable to provide a timeline for repairs.
"It's just puzzling. I don't know what to do," she said. "I don't have water... I have a 2-year-old and a 9-month-old, and I'm going to have to bathe them with this water here."
Burse picked up two cases of water from Fire Station #15 in Midtown on Monday morning. She hopes the city will make repairs before she needs more.
"I'm just praying that things work out," she said. "Nothing else to do but pray and keep our fingers crossed on it."
Michael Voth, who lives near Fire Station #15, told 11Alive he was most concerned with how the boil water advisory would affect his neighbors. One of them is recovering from a hip replacement; the other just had hernia surgery.
"They can't walk. They can't get out and get water or anything like that," he said. "That's kind of what I'm doing today — being the legs for the people who can't get out there."
Several fire stations across the city are offering free cases of water to those affected by a series of water main breaks, including Fire Station #15 in Midtown and Fire Station #11 in Atlantic Station.
"It's kind of a pain having to boil water, and even once it's done, I'm not sure if it's safe," said another resident, Richard Satchell. "I just pour water on my toothbrush and brush my teeth. I drink a lot of tea so I just pour a bottle of water in the kettle and do it that way."
He said he and his neighbors are grateful for all of the community support.
"A lot of the people in my building and I have health issues... so I'm just kind of leery of even boiled water," Satchell said. "[The fire station and my building] have been kind enough to give us water."