LATEST UPDATES: See the latest updates on Atlanta’s continuing water crisis at this link.
June 2
After two major water main breaks and a series of smaller ones this weekend across Atlanta, the city’s water crisis might be finally turning a corner.
Water has been restored to most of the outage area, but a boil water advisory is expected to last into Monday. Some residents and businesses were still reporting low water pressure into Sunday evening.
Al Wiggins Jr., the city’s Watershed Management Department commissioner, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday that water pressure had remained constant and that samples were “looking good.”
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division said it was in close communication with the city and was standing by to “assist as needed,” according to the AJC.
The Midtown area might be under the boil advisory longer as repairs on a major break at 11th and West Peachtree streets continue.
Work crews dug up the pavement at Peachtree Walk and 11th Street to install a shut-off valve to stem the flow of water, an Atlanta Watershed contractor confirmed to Rough Draft. Two more digs occurred about 400 feet from the main break and along West Peachtree near 10th Street to install additional shut-off valves. Crews are installing three valves because the water is reportedly coming from three different directions.
Just before 10 a.m. on Sunday, water was still gushing from the broken main in Midtown. The geyser of water blew out the windows at Eleventh Street Pub, which are now boarded up and covered in plastic. It’s unclear if the bar sustained any water damage as a result.
Atlanta Watershed said Sunday morning that crews have made “significant progress” in localizing the repairs of the broken water main in Midtown. The city is still advising pedestrians and motorists to avoid the area for the time being.
“There have been no water service disruptions, and we are committed to continuing our efforts to prevent such disruptions for residents in the area,” reads the statement.
Residents can use this map to check and see if they are located in the boil water advisory zone.
Repairs have been completed on the Vine City water main break that occurred Friday morning and tripped off the weekend crisis, which included additional main breaks on Sunday at Euclid and North avenues and on Atlantic Drive. These potential breaks resulted in a temporary disruption of water service for residences and businesses in the affected areas.
Emergency repairs were completed at Euclid Avenue and North Avenue just after 4 p.m. on Sunday. There has been no update on the Atlantic Drive repair as of 8 p.m. on Sunday night.
The weekend without water in Atlanta caused ripple effects, including restaurants and businesses losing untold amounts of money.
Atlanta’s restaurants have been particularly hard hit by the water outage. Rough Draft has been sharing restaurant reopenings and closure notices in our Instagram stories.
The Savannah College of Art & Design moved its afternoon commencement ceremony from the Georgia World Congress Center to the SCADshow theater in Midtown due to the ongoing water woes.
Emory University Hospital Midtown announced Sunday that it will be “moving to normal operations,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The hospital expects to be able to operate on regular schedules for outpatient doctor’s appointments, procedures and surgeries on Monday.
Grady Memorial Hospital also announced via Instagram that water service has been restored, and all patient appointments, procedures and surgeries are expected to resume June 3.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium announced that Sunday’s match between Atlanta United and Charlotte FC would continue but there would be limited food and beverage options. The stadium also asked that fans utilize the hand sanitizing stations around the stadium as an added precaution.
Tourist attractions like Zoo Atlanta, The World of Coca-Cola, and Georgia Aquarium reopened their doors on Sunday.
After both of her shows at State Farm Arena were canceled Friday and Saturday night, Megan Thee Stallion took to the internet to voice her displeasure with the way the city has handled the situation.
Both shows were rescheduled for Sunday and Monday night respectively and are both still on according to State Farm’s website.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
June 1
Atlanta Department of Watershed Management crews have repaired a major line break in Vine City, but a second main break in Midtown continues to add to the city’s water woes.
At a press conference Saturday evening, Mayor Andre Dickens said crews completed fixing Friday morning’s break at the intersection of Joseph E. Boone Boulevard and James P. Brawley Drive.
Dickens said some customers should already have water and others would soon as pressure is slowly rebuilt across the network. A boil water advisory remains in effect.
Another major water main break at 11th and West Peachtree streets, which occurred later on Friday, is proving more difficult to fix. At the time of the press conference, crews had not found the valve to turn off the water to allow them to inspect the site, said Watershed Commissioner Al Wiggins.
“This situation was a little bit challenging because our goal was to always minimize the impact of the break. So currently, we’re trying to identify a strategy to isolate the area just around the break,” Wiggins said.
“We don’t yet have an estimate for the timeline for that work, but [crews] are out there right now working feverishly to get it done,” Dickens said.
Just before 11:30 p.m. on Saturday night, Atlanta Watershed released a statement that repair work was finally underway on the Midtown break.
Dickens also the city is now under a state of emergency. The designation gives city officials the go-ahead to purchase equipment and contract services needed to repair the water mains.
He also acknowledged how frustrating the situation has been for people, especially those planning to attend the twice-canceled Megan Thee Stallion concert at State Farm Arena. According to a website message from the arena, the two shows are expected to be held Sunday night and Monday night.
“I know there are a lot of conference attendees, a lot of visitors, residents and individuals that were going to a concert and these fans are unhappy right about now,” the mayor said.
“This kind of disruption is uncomfortable for sure, and unpredictable, and we definitely understand your frustration. But today we had to prioritize getting the breaks repaired and making sure that people around Atlanta were safe,” he said.
While the city struggles to bring water back to taps, the outage also forced the closure of many restaurants and businesses across the city. On Saturday afternoon, Emory Midtown Hospital had to divert emergency room arrivals and send some patients to other hospitals.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
