A series of burst water mains in Atlanta caused widespread disruption on Saturday, cutting power and dramatically reducing water pressure, forcing some businesses to close and infuriating residents who criticized city officials for failing to provide timely information.
Reports of water interruptions began Friday when a corroded water pipe burst near downtown. It was unclear when the burst occurred. The outages continued into Saturday, with many people still experiencing very low water pressure. Residents across a wide swath of the city have been advised to boil tap water.
Utility and city officials announced Saturday evening that on-site repairs to the burst pipe that caused most of the outages have been completed. Officials said the system is “gradually returning to service” and that water pressure is now able to increase. Preliminary water quality tests have not found any contamination, but a boil water advisory remains in effect, officials said.
The power outages forced businesses to close or limit service, some hospitals to transfer patients or cancel certain procedures, and events were canceled or rescheduled, including a Megan Thee Stallion concert that was scheduled to draw thousands on Friday and Saturday. Many area residents, and guests at downtown hotels, were forced to make do with bottled water or what little water was dripping from their taps.
Many were outraged by the lack of information, as time passed and officials offered little if any information about the status of service restoration.
“This is ridiculous. Atlanta should be ashamed,” one resident wrote on Facebook in response to a city government post announcing the boil water notice. “This is unsanitary and dangerous!”
At a press conference Saturday afternoon, Mayor Andre Dickens apologized for the inconvenience and disruption to weekend plans. He also acknowledged the city failed to adequately inform residents. “We didn't communicate well enough throughout the night,” Dickens said at the scene of the most serious water main burst.
“Without water, cities cannot function and people cannot live,” he said, referring to reliable water service, adding that “this is a top priority to which we are giving our utmost attention.”
The burst pipe occurred in an area where three major water mains intersect, and the city's watershed authority began closing valves on Friday morning, reducing water pressure to nearby hospitals and government facilities.
The service disruptions were concentrated in the city center, affecting downtown hotels, tourist attractions, state and city government offices, before spreading to surrounding densely populated residential areas.
The situation was made worse by another major water main burst in the city's Midtown district.
Officials said there had been some technical issues during efforts to restore service, adding that they were balancing speed with caution to avoid causing further damage to the ageing system.
“We understand the urgency of restoring water service,” Atlanta Watershed Authority Director Al Wiggins Jr. told reporters Saturday, “but we want to make sure we do it in a way that doesn't cause any further setbacks to operations.”
But Dickens also tried to calm some of the anger and resentment simmering in the city, saying crews were hard at work and promising the city would be more forthcoming in keeping residents informed.
“I want to be very clear: these guys are working nonstop,” Dickens said Saturday afternoon about the workers next to him. “They're working as quickly and as carefully as they can to get this situation resolved as quickly as possible.”
