ATLANTA — The City of Atlanta is under a State of Emergency Mayor Andre Dickens said on Saturday night at a press conference to update the status of the recent water main breaks throughout the city.
City officials are targeting the breaks aggressively and say they are now starting on the main breaks at the intersection of West Peachtree St. and 11th Street.
The Atlanta Department of Watershed announced it has completed multiple rounds of repairs on the aging pipe at the junction of Joseph E. Boone Blvd. and J.P. Brawley Dr.
While the repairs have been made, the boil water notice remains in effect “out of an abundance of caution.”
Multiple water main breaks were reported in midtown Atlanta starting on Friday, heading into Saturday morning. As a result, the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management issued a boil water advisory for a large portion of the city.
On Saturday afternoon, they extended that advisory to cover another section that includes most of the city from midtown and below.
On Friday night, police say they responded to the area of 11th Street NE and West Peachtree Street NE in reference to a water main break. A portion of West Peachtree Street has been blocked off until the issue can be resolved.
Two large water main breaks caused customers to be without water in a large area of northwest Atlanta, from downtown to westside to midtown to southwest Atlanta.
The first of which was at the intersection of Joseph E. Boone Boulevard and James P. Brawley Drive around 8 a.m. A spokesperson from the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management said that the break was a 48-inch transmission line that directly connected to the city’s water treatment plant.
A water outage was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. for parts of metro Atlanta as workers started to repair the pipe. It’s unclear when the water will come back on.
The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management initially said the water disruption would be city-wide, but then clarified it is limited to the impacted area.
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12:33 p.m.
The Atlanta Department of said after the repairs at Joseph E. Boone Blvd and J.P. Brawley Driver were completed, water service was fully restored to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the Fulton County Jail, Atlanta City Detention Center, many of Atlanta’s critical facilities, and residents, including several senior high-rise buildings. Also, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena now have water service, and scheduled events will go on as planned.
6:00 a.m.
The Atlanta Department of Watershed said crews continue to work to repair the water main break at West Peachtree St. and 11th St.
A boil water advisory remains in effect for residents and businesses in the area.
12:02 a.m.
Repairs have started on the main breaks at the intersection of West Peachtree St. and 11th St., officials say.
11:37 p.m.
West Peachtree Street NE from north of 10th Street NE to 14th Street NE will remain closed indefinitely until repairs are completed.
9:50 p.m.
Mayor Andre Dickens issues State of Emergency to allow city to access needed resources as crew continue to restore water pressure to city, businesses
6:49 p.m.
The Atlanta Department of Watershed say the have completed multiple rounds on the aging pipe at the junction of Joseph E. Boone Blvd. and J.P. Brawley Dr.
4:17 p.m.
Emory University Hospital Midtown says they are on diversion for ambulance traffic and some dialysis patients are being transferred to other Emory hospitals.
2:23 p.m.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, Watershed Commission Al Wiggins Jr. and other officials hold news conference.
1:39 p.m.
The City of Atlanta is handing out bottled water at several fire stations: 71 Elliot Street, 1568 Jonesboro Road, 447 Boulevard and 1048 Joseph E. Boone Blvd.
1:22 p.m.
A Boil Water Advisory is still in place for much of Atlanta and has been extended to include another portion of the city. There is no timeline for the advisory to end.
11:03 a.m.
Grady Memorial Hospital has released a statement saying they have low water pressure, but are accepting emergency patients. Elective procedures are still being canceled.
“Grady continues to experience low water pressure due to a water main break in City of Atlanta. However, we remain fully operational and our emergency room is accepting all patients. To ensure patient safety elective procedures remain canceled at this time. Hospital leadership and our facilities team are working directly with our care teams to ensure we maintain the same level of quality medical care for our patients.”
10:41 a.m.
The City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management has backtracked their statement on repairs being completed at Joseph E. Boone Blvd. and James P. Brawley Dr. They anticipate three more hours of repairs before completion.
10:28 a.m.
Grady Memorial Hospital and neighboring hospitals, as well as the Fulton County Jail has water service, according to the public information officer for Mayor Andre Dickens’ office.
10:17 a.m.
Atlanta Watershed Management officials say repairs have been made to the water main break on Joseph E. Boone Blvd. and James P. Brawley Dr. and they are slowly pressurizing the system. There is no timeline for when it will be fully restored.
Crews are now working to repair the water main break at W. Peachtree Street and 11th Street.
9:29 a.m.
Nine Fulton County library locations will remain closed on Saturday: Auburn Avenue Research, Central, East Atlanta, Kirkwood, Louise Watley @ Southeast, Mechanicsville, Metropolitan, Washington Park and West End.
Public water fountains are closed at all other Fulton County libraries.
9:15 a.m.
Water Commissioner Al Wiggins, Jr. will provide updates on the water main breaks impacting Atlanta at around 9:30 a.m., according to department officials.
8:32 a.m.
The Georgia Aquarium will remain closed on Saturday. Spokespeople say the water issue in the city is not affecting animals, but is affecting guest areas.
6:10 a.m.
The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management said repairs at multiple water main breaks are still underway but no expected time for completion is currently available.
5:03 a.m.
The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management is investigating a potential water main break on Berkeley Avenue NW, according to the city’s water outage map.
4:40 a.m.
Work crews on the scene at Atlantic Drive told Channel 2′s Veronica Griffin that they were able to lock the water main break quickly overnight. While the water was temporarily turned off for an area of roughly two blocks, they expect service to be restored before 6 a.m.
2:34 a.m.
The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management reported another possible water main break on Atlantic Drive is under investigation.
A potential water main break is being investigated near 1190 Atlantic Dr. NW.
— Atlanta Watershed (@ATLWatershed) June 1, 2024
It could result in a temporary disruption of water service for residents and businesses.
Additional updates will be provided as more information becomes available. #DWMatWork #ATLWatershed pic.twitter.com/DV45l3RJkr
The water main break on Beechwood Drive was repaired and service was restored shortly after 10 p.m.
The six-inch water main has been turned on after emergency repairs were completed near 1236 E. Beechwood Dr. NW. Water service has been restored to 20 homes and 3 hydrants. #DWMatWork #ATLWatershed #ATLFireRescue pic.twitter.com/FiR3pCHnse
— Atlanta Watershed (@ATLWatershed) June 1, 2024
10:36 p.m.
The Atlanta Police Department reported they responded to the area of 11th Street NE and West Peachtree Street NE in reference to what appears to be a water main break.
5:47 p.m.
Megan Thee Stallion announced on Twitter that tonight’s show at State Farm Arena has been postponed until Sunday night.
“Unfortunately, we will need to reschedule tonight’s show at State Farm Arena due to the massive water main break that The City of Atlanta is experiencing,” she wrote. “I’m extremely disappointed because I had a huge surprise for the Hotties tonight, but we will follow the Mayor’s protocol.”
State Farm Arena confirmed that tickets for tonight’s show will automatically be honored on Sunday.
5:50 p.m.
Nine MARTA stations have been shut down due to the water outage. They include the West End, Lakewood, Five Points, Georgia State, King Memorial, Inman Park, Candler Park, Bankhead and College Park stations.
4:35 p.m.
The city-wide water service disruption will begin at 5 p.m.
3:56 p.m.
The boil water advisory will remain in effect until the DWM is cleared to lift it after sampling protocols.
The boil water advisory will remain in place until DWM is cleared to lift the advisory following sampling protocols. DWM has developed an informative video outlining proper procedures to take during a boil water advisory. #ATLDWM
— Atlanta Watershed (@ATLWatershed) May 31, 2024
Link: https://t.co/ugH9lGPXch pic.twitter.com/lOoqTq1cTv
3:23 p.m.
DeKalb County Fire Rescue has sent a 3,000-gallon water tanker to the city of Atlanta.
“DeKalb County is honored to be able to support the city of Atlanta during this crisis,” DeKalb County Fire Chief Darnell Fullum said. “DeKalb County stands ready to provide additional resources if needed.”
2:37 p.m.
A third main appears to have broken in the West Paces Ferry area. That break, on Beechwood Road, is affecting residents, businesses and hydrants in that area. It’s unclear if that main break is related to the other two.
The Department of Watershed Management crews’ team is making emergency repairs near 1236 E Beechwood Drive NW. Water service has been temporarily interrupted, affecting residents, businesses, and hydrants in the area. We will provide additional updates. #DWMatWork #ATLWatershed pic.twitter.com/rolDBGHnhs
— Atlanta Watershed (@ATLWatershed) May 31, 2024
2:23 p.m.
Parts of metro Atlanta in the shaded area will experience a water outage starting at 5 p.m. when crews start to make repairs. People in those areas are asked to prepare to not have water for an “unspecified” amount of time.
The DWM is asking for immediate water restrictions to allow system pressures to rebuild.
NEWS RELEASE: DWM ISSUES BOIL WATER ADVISORY FOR METROPOLITAN ATLANTA
— Atlanta Watershed (@ATLWatershed) May 31, 2024
The Department of Watershed Management has issued a boil water advisory out of an abundance of caution and in accordance with Georgia EPD guidance for public advisory.#ATLWatershed #ATLDWM pic.twitter.com/qoMKFKGfqK
2:12 p.m.
A boil water advisory has been issued for much of metro Atlanta. Anyone experiencing low pressure or outages are asked to boil water before drinking or use bottled water for drinking, cooking, preparing baby food and brushing teeth.
DWM is also reporting another main has broken in East Atlanta in the area of 2922 Glenwood Ave.
It’s unclear when water will be restored or how many customers have been affected.
2:10 p.m.
The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management now says a 36-inch main has also broken. Both pipes are transmission lines that carry large volumes of water to the metro Atlanta area.
Stay with 95.5WSB Radio for the latest on this developing story.