A small pocket of Acworth is on a precautionary boil water advisory after a valve issue during a pressure test may have sent water from an inactive line into a live main. Residents and businesses in the affected area are being told to stick with boiled or bottled water for drinking, cooking and mixing baby formula while county crews run lab tests. The advisory went up Monday and will stay in place until water samples come back clean and the tap is declared safe.
According to Cobb County, crews testing an inactive water main on McCoy Road found a valve partially open and warned that water from the inactive line may have slipped into the active main. Officials said the alert was issued “out of an abundance of caution” and urged any customers who saw outages or low pressure to avoid using tap water for anything they might swallow unless it has been boiled or swapped out for bottled water. The county also released a small map of the affected zone along with customer guidance.
Affected streets and services
As reported by WSB‑TV, the advisory covers McCoy Road, Will Ben Street, Atlanta Ski Club Pvt, Boat Club Drive, Boat Club Lane and Portside Drive in the 30101 ZIP code. The notice applies only to customers who have experienced water outages and/or low pressure; the rest of Acworth is not included in the precaution.
How to keep water safe
The Centers for Disease Control recommends bringing water to a full rolling boil for one minute, or three minutes if you are at higher elevations, and using boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice, preparing baby formula and brushing teeth, per the CDC. The agency notes that dishwashing and clothes washing are typically safe if done properly, but any ice made from tap water during the advisory should be thrown out. Households with infants, elderly residents or people with weakened immune systems are urged to take extra precautions while the notice is in effect.
When will it end and what to do after
Cobb County says the advisory will remain in place until required testing of the water system is completed and confirms there is no longer a public health concern. Officials say customers will be notified immediately once the advisory is lifted and are instructing people to flush all faucets for at least two minutes before using water for drinking or food preparation. For questions, the county lists the Water System contact number as 770‑419‑6200.
Regional context
This Cobb County alert is one of several precautionary water notices in Metro Atlanta this week. The City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management issued a similar advisory for Fairburn and South Fulton earlier in the week after a pump‑station outage, according to City of Atlanta DWM. Officials say these advisories are standard responses to pressure drops or outages while water samples are tested, and they are lifted only after lab results show no contamination.
For now, residents on the affected streets are being urged to follow official updates from Cobb County and local news outlets for word that the advisory has been lifted. Until then, bottled water remains the safest bet.
