Atlanta, GA
Some Atlanta residents say they have been without water for 6 days
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – People in Atlanta are watching and waiting for a boil water advisory to be lifted after a series of water main breaks that started on May 31.
Crews completed repairs in Midtown Wednesday, at the intersection of West Peachtree and 11th Streets.
Officials say the boil advisory is still in place, but service has been restored.
There are still some residents, however, who say their faucets are dry.
Atlanta Fire Rescue was a welcome sight to those people Wednesday evening in Mechanicsville.
They drove a red pickup truck, packed with cases of water, and delivered it right to them.
One resident, who lives in the City Views Apartments on Richardson St. SW, showed Atlanta News First a video of his bathroom sink faucet and shower.
Despite turning the handles, not one drop of water comes out.
“Since Friday, we haven’t had any water,” said Janet Johnson, who also lives in that complex. She said floors seven and higher in the building have not had service restored.
“I went to BP and bought a case of water for $16 dollars, which I can’t afford anymore,” she explained. “The case of water is helping, but it’s not helping totally. You’ve got to bathe. You’ve got to cook. You’ve got to do everything with the water.”
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in a press conference Wednesday that lessons were learned in this nearly week-long ordeal.
“We won’t learn it again,” he said. “We got it now.”
The City also announced assistance from FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers is coming, as well as new AI monitors on water valves to detect any issues before they get out of hand.
In the meantime, residents are still waiting for safe and clean water back in their homes.
The City of Atlanta says they are waiting for water sample test results to come back clean. The earliest that could happen is 2:00 a.m. Thursday.
Atlanta News First reached out to the Mayor’s office to ask about what some people were experiencing on Richardson Street SW. They said someone from Atlanta Watershed Management would be sent out that night to investigate the matter. The Mayor’s office also reminds people it may take time for the water pressure to ramp back up, particularly for those on higher floors.
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