Boil water advisory for Atlanta expanded as day 2 of water main break repairs continue
Boil water advisory for Atlanta expanded as day 2 of water main break repairs continue
City officials said a 48-inch and another 36-inch line that connect broke, leading to the failure of a line that carries large amounts of water into the city.
ATLANTA — The City of Atlanta Watershed Management has expanded the boil advisory Saturday afternoon to include a larger portion of the city of Atlanta, stating that all residents who have experienced water outages and low water pressure should boil their water.
The expanded area now includes a big portion of Midtown. The map below shows the new area being asked to boil its water as repairs to major water main break and efforts to restore services continue.
Atlanta boil water advisory map
The Department of Watershed Management initially issued a boil water advisory Friday for a large swath of metro Atlanta after a major water main break is leaving thousands in the city dealing with water issues.
The department also asked the public to restrict water usage to allow the pressure in the system to rebuild.
It comes as department of watershed crews work to repair the breaks, which happened on the city’s west side.
The department first learned of the breaks just around 8:30 a.m. in the Vine City neighborhood near the intersection of Joseph E. Boone Boulevard NW and James P. Brawley Drive. That’s on the city’s west side and near several major landmarks and attractions, including the Atlanta University Center, Georgia Tech, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and more.
City officials said a 48-inch and another 36-inch line that connect in that area broke, leading to the failure of a line that carries large amounts of water into the city.
Meanwhile, the department’s outage map also showed another major issue off Glenwood Avenue SE, on the east side of the city, near the East Lake Golf Club. Watershed officials said it’s unrelated to the break at Joseph E. Boone Boulevard.
The break and other water issues led to several major tourist attractions, like the Georgia Aquarium and Zoo Atlanta, closing early on Friday. Government and public services, like City Hall and Grady Hospital, were also impacted. Several residents in neighborhoods around the city reported no water as well.
Therefore, “out of an abundance of caution,” the department issued the advisory to the public, telling all within the shaded area below to boil its water under Georgia Environmental Protection Division guidance. It recommended all residents and property owners who have experienced water outages and/or low water pressures be advised to boil all water prior to use or to use bottled water for drinking, cooking, preparing baby food, or brushing teeth.
Anyone in the shaded area was asked to conserve water for only critical use and prepare for potential outages.
How long will the boil water advisory last?
The boil water advisory will remain in place until the Georgia EPD clears the Department of Watershed Management to lift it following sampling and testing.
The city has set up several water distribution sites for residents impacted by the outages.
What is a boil water advisory and what should you do?
During a boil water advisory, water should be boiled for one minute past a rolling boil.
Infants, the elderly, and those with immune deficiencies should be cautious. Do not drink water from public water fountains in the impacted area.
Vigorous hand washing or showers with soap and tap water should be safe for basic personal hygiene. However, if washing hands to prepare food, use boiled (then cooled) water and handwashing soap.