Water Outage in Atlanta Leaves Residents Frustrated and Businesses Shut Down

Water pressure returning to downtown Atlanta after two-day outage

ATLANTA — After a two-day water outage that left businesses shut down and faucets dry in many homes, water pressure was finally returning to downtown Atlanta and nearby neighborhoods on Sunday.

A large portion of the city still remained under a boil water advisory, but Mayor Andre Dickens announced in a late Saturday news conference that one of the two major water main breaks affecting the city had been repaired.

“I know it’s been a tough and frustrating day for many of you, but I’m glad to have some positive news to report tonight,” Dickens said.

The first-term Democratic mayor, who faces reelection in 2025, continued to apologize for the inconvenience caused by the water outage, as residents criticized the city’s response. Even rapper Megan Thee Stallion, whose shows at the State Farm Arena were canceled, called out the mayor in a video posted on Saturday.

The water main breaks occurred where three large water mains intersect just west of downtown. Department of Watershed Management Commissioner Al Wiggins Jr. explained that some of the burst pipes were old and corroded, making repairs challenging. However, repairs were completed on Saturday evening.

Another water main later burst in the city’s Midtown neighborhood, and officials were working to isolate the leak from the larger water system. Dickens declared a state of emergency to expedite the repair process.

Atlanta has been investing billions in upgrading its aging sewer and water infrastructure in recent years, including a tunnel drilled through 5 miles of rock to provide the city with more than 30 days of stored water. Voters recently approved a 1-cent sales tax to fund federally mandated sewer upgrades.

City workers spent Saturday distributing water and setting up portable toilets at fire stations while checking on senior citizens in high-rise residences. However, officials faced criticism for being slow to update residents on the situation.

Despite the challenges, some attractions and businesses, such as the Georgia Aquarium, reopened on Sunday. The aquarium cautioned visitors that the boil water order meant no ice or fountain drinks in its cafeteria.