Atlanta Mayor Calls State Of Emergency Over Water Main Breaks

Mayor Dickens faced backlash for his delayed response to the issue.

Massive water main breaks left many Atlanta residents without water as the city’s mayor declared a state of emergency while they work to resolve the issue.

A significant portion of the city’s residents have been without water or under a boil advisory since the breaks erupted over the weekend. Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens authorized a state of emergency over the issue on June 2 as crews continue with repairs. According to CNN, the crew only fixed one of the two main breaks thus far.

In the midst of the infrastructure breakdown, several disruptions occurred across the city, from medical to recreational. Emory University Hospital in Atlanta’s midtown area transferred dialysis patients and emergency vehicles to medical centers outside the impacted area. The hospital only resumed normal operations on Sunday.

Another hospital, Grady Memorial, also dealt with low water pressure, limiting their capacity until Monday. As for the city’s social activities, both of Megan Thee Stallion’s shows at the State Farm Arena were postponed until the following days.

The cancellation of both Saturday and Sunday’s shows occurred mere hours before the concert’s scheduled time. While the show did go on, many residents felt frustrated with leadership and their communication on the issue.

Dickens faced backlash for his delayed response to main breaks. He later apologized for the communication issue, sharing that residents will receive updates on the matter until it is fully resolved.

The @CityofAtlanta and @ATLWatershed teams are working hard and nonstop to repair the water main breaks impacting you. We apologize for the disruption over the past day & assure you we will have updates as they become available. pic.twitter.com/Ef42fBqRMM
— Andre Dickens (@andreforatlanta) June 1, 2024

The city distributed water to impacted residents, distributing one case of water a day as the issue continues. However, issues like these may persist for Atlanta residents as the city faces the looming threat of declining infrastructure. Like many other populous areas, older water main breaks are facing dire renewal or replacement.

According to the city’s social media, crews installed a new pipe to fix the ongoing break issue. However, they revealed no timeline for its completion.