Atlanta officials are slowly repressuring the city’s water system after a corroding water pipe burst in downtown and Midtown, forcing many businesses and tourists to close and affecting water service in area homes.
The city distributed cases of water and set up portable toilets at several fire stations and first responders checked high-rise buildings to see if elderly or other residents were vulnerable.
“Water is an essential and critical resource and cities cannot function and life cannot exist without it,” said Mayor Andre Dickens during a press conference on Saturday morning. “It’s definitely at the top of our list.”
At a second press conference on Saturday evening, Dickens announced that he had declared a state of emergency over the situation. The mayor said that while crews have made significant progress repairing the first water main break, they are struggling with the second break in Midtown.
“We are still aiming for the second main break … the repair there has been a little bit more complicated for some reasons … We do not have an estimate on the timeline for that work,” said Dickens.
And in a statement on Saturday, the mayor’s office said crews had “completed several rounds of repairs” and “the system is gradually being brought back online in order to rebuild system pressure.”
The boil water advisory is still in effect for many AtlantansHowever, until the Georgia Environmental Protection Division determines the Advisory can be lifted.
According to CBS affiliate WANF-TV, the Georgia State Capitol, Georgia Supreme Court and Atlanta City Hall did not have water service Friday.
Several attractions and businesses, including the Georgia Aquarium and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, remained closed Saturday.
“The city-wide water problem is still affecting the Aquarium and many others in the area. It’s not affecting our animals, but it’s affecting guest areas like bathrooms,” the aquarium said on the X social platform.
The aquarium is expected to reopen Sunday, according to WANF.
The water main break also forced the rapper Megan Thee Stallion to move her concert from Friday to Sunday.
“I’m very disappointed because I have a big surprise for the Hotties tonight, but we will follow the Mayor’s protocol,” she said sent at X. “Pray for those who have lost access to water because of this situation.”
The problem began Friday morning when water flowed into the road where three major water mains cut through the center of the city, causing water problems at two hospitals, the city jail, the county jail and a local shelter. A separate break occurred later in Midtown, adding to the problem.
Officials have been widely criticized for being slow to update residents on the situation. The city and water management department sent an update after 8 pm on Friday and waited more than 12 hours to update residents again. Dickens did not address the media until 2 p.m. Friday and explained that he was in Memphis when the trouble began.
Someone in the affected area posted flyers around the neighborhood asking “Don’t have water?” and “Help us find our mayor.”
Dickens promises updates every two hours until the situation is resolved.
“Overnight, we didn’t do the best job of communicating. We could have done a better job over the last day, and I apologize,” he said.
Residents are asked to limit their water use so that pressure in the system can be rebuilt.
“We certainly understand the urgency of restoring water service, but we also want to make sure we do it in a way that doesn’t cause further setbacks,” Atlanta Watershed Management Commissioner Al Wiggins Jr. said. news conference on Friday. “Any means of water, it’s a fragile setup.”
He said he hoped service would be fully restored by Monday, but could not guarantee it.
The city is urging people to check on neighbors and relatives who are sick or sick.
“The City Government is all mobilized to solve this problem,” the water department said on Friday.
