Downtown Atlanta water service disrupted, forcing business closures and boil water advisory

The problems began Friday morning when water gushed into the street where three large water mains cross downtown, causing water problems at two hospitals, a city jail, a county jail and local shelters. A separate break occurred later in Midtown, adding to the problem.

Authorities have been widely criticized for being slow to update citizens on the situation. The city and its water management department sent an update after 8pm on Friday and waited more than 12 hours to update residents again. Dickens only spoke to the media at 2pm on Saturday and explained that he was in Memphis when the trouble began.

Someone in the affected area posted flyers around the neighborhood asking “No water?” and “Help us find our mayor.”

Dickens promised 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 on the last day and for that I apologize,” he said.

A boil water order was still in effect Saturday for a large portion of the Atlanta metro area. Residents have been asked to restrict water use to allow pressure in the system to rebuild.

“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 any additional regression in our work,” said Atlanta Department of Watershed Management Commissioner Al Wiggins Jr. Saturday press conference. “Any water utility is a fragile setup.”

He said he expects service to be fully restored by Saturday, but cannot guarantee that.

Some attractions and businesses, including the Georgia Aquarium, remained closed Saturday.

“The citywide water issue still affects the Aquarium and many others in the area. This is not affecting our animals, but it is affecting guest areas such as bathrooms,” the aquarium posted on X.

The city asked people to check on elderly or sick neighbors and relatives.

“The entire city government is mobilized to resolve this issue,” the water department said on Friday.

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s show was moved from Friday to Sunday. She was also scheduled to perform at State Farm Arena on Saturday. This performance was scheduled to take place on Saturday morning, but was still questionable a few hours before the scheduled start.

“I am extremely disappointed because I had a big surprise for the Hotties tonight, but we will follow the mayor’s protocol,” she posted on X. “Praying for the people who have lost access to water due to this situation.”