A city owrk crew repairs the street at the intersection of 11th and West Peachtree streets after a nearly 100-year-old corroded pipe was replaced after a weekend water main break. (Photo courtesy Atlanta Watershed)

LATEST UPDATES: See the latest updates on Atlanta’s water crisis at this link.

June 4

The City of Atlanta said in an 8 p.m. update that it expects the water system to return to “normal operation” between 7 and 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 5.

A boil water advisory will remain in place until testing samples are approved by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD). A new advisory map was released by the city in its evening update.

The updated boil water advisory map released June 4. (Courtesy Atlanta Watershed)

Residents can also check if they are affected by the boil advisory using this interactive map.

The update comes following the Tuesday morning replacement of a 100-year-old pipe at the corner of 11th and Peachtree streets in Midtown.

Atlanta City Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari posted on social media this evening that once water lines have been pressurized following replacement of the pipe, the system must “incubate” for 18 hours before testing samples are sent to the EPD to determine if the boil water advisory can be lifted.

“It’s CRUCIAL that until our supply is tested and the Boil Water advisory lifted, you continue to boil any water intended for consumption,” Bakhtiari said in her post.

The city said in its update that water is on at the Marriott Residence Inn and Eleventh Street Pub, which was damaged by the geyser of water that blew from the broken water main for three days.

According to Atlanta Watershed’s X account, there were new water main breaks today at Armour Drive and on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, but there was no status repor on these in the evening update. It’s unclear if these are connected to the two water main breaks that kept Atlanta dry all weekend

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Mayor Andre Dickens was at the Midtown scene this morning and commented, “(I’m) so ready for this to be over. So are the residents around here.”

The city update said operations are running normally, including the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the Municipal Court, the Atlanta City Detention Center and E911 operations.

“Our critical infrastructure, such as Grady Memorial Hospital and Emory Midtown Hospital, is maintaining medium to normal pressure levels and remains fully operational. Fulton County Jail is also operating at normal pressure levels. Hotels are reporting normal conditions and are ready to accommodate their guests as usual,” the update said.

The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department continues to hand out water to residents who need it. One case of water, per household, can be picked up at the following stations: 

  • Station 1          71 Elliott St, SW, Atlanta, GA, 30315
  • Station 10        447 Boulevard SE, Atlanta, GA 30315
  • Station 11        165 16th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30363
  • Station 15        170 10th Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
  • Station 16        1048 Joseph E. Boone Blvd, NW, Atlanta, GA 3031

The boil advisory is a lingering hangover from a weekend of water main breaks that made most of the city’s taps go dry, shuttering restaurants and businesses and postponing major events.

Dickens appeared before the Atlanta City Council on Monday to discuss a “weekend like no other” and announced that he was calling in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assist with Atlanta’s ongoing water crisis.

Engineers were indeed on the ground Tuesday and said in a press release that “the Corps is working with the city to investigate the viability of doing a Planning Assistance to States study to perform a full physical and operational assessment of the entire water system with the city of Atlanta.”

A “recovery fund” to assist small business owners impacted by the city of Atlanta’s water crisis is being established by the city.

Dickens told the city council that the new recovery fund would help small businesses “adversely affected” by the water woes that started Friday.

Councilmember Matt Westmoreland introduced the legislation to create the recovery fund. It calls for up to $5 million of city funds be transferred to Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development agency.

Atlanta Public Schools said it would cancel its summer school classes and programs for a third day on June 5 due to the ongoing boil water advisory Classes are canceled at Midtown High, Howard Middle School, Mary Lin Elementary, Hope-Hill Elementary, Springdale Park Elementary, Whitefoord, and Coan Middle.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Collin Kelley is the executive editor of Atlanta Intown, Georgia Voice, and the Rough Draft newsletter. He has been a journalist for nearly four decades and is also an award-winning poet and novelist.