An urgent boil water advisory has been slapped on Metro Atlanta following a pair of major water main breaks that caused a trickle-down mess of closures and disruptions across the city. Public offices and businesses such as Fulton County Government facilities, Georgia Aquarium, and the College Football Hall of Fame have all been forced to shut down, Fox 5 Atlanta reports.
The crisis began early Friday near Vine City when a 48-inch and 36-inch water main burst open causing some parts of downtown to go dry. Government offices, including Fulton County Government Center and Courthouse, have sent staff home, with county services in disarray. Atlanta City Hall, also impacted, dismissed its employees "due to the health and safety of our employees," 11Alive reported.
Atlanta's Watershed Management turned off the water initially to manage the situation but then restored it temporarily to let businesses and residents prepare for the full outage that was set to commence at 5 p.m. for urgent repairs. Amidst this chaos, Meg Thee Stallion's Friday night concert has been postponed, underlining the break's reach beyond just government operations and into the city's vibrant cultural life.
Residents and businesses are urged to boil water or stick to bottled options for the essentials like drinking and cooking, "Hospital leadership and our facilities team are working diligently to mitigate the issues. To ensure patient safety, we have decided to cancel all elective and non-urgent procedures and appointments. Affected patients will be notified and appointments will be rescheduled for a later date," a statement from Grady Memorial Hospital conveyed the gravity of the situation regarding water safety and patient care. The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management assured that crews are tackling the problem head-on though a definitive timeline for a solution is still up in the air.
The water fiasco has also closed nearly 10 Fulton County libraries and foisted a premature curtain call on Krog Street Market. The Georgia Aquarium confirmed that their animal systems are safe from harm but that the facility would remain closed to the public while the break is being addressed. As the city grinds to a halt around these watery woes, updates continue to flow in, and Fox 5 Atlanta vows to keep a steady stream of information available as the situation develops.
