A boil water advisory remains in place for parts of Atlanta and surrounding communities after a water supply interruption at the Chattahoochee Water Treatment Plant affected more than 100,000 customers.
The City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management issued the warning on Sunday, October 11, covering parts of south-west Atlanta, South Fulton, Fairburn and Union City. The latest update has also identified portions of north-west Atlanta, Chattahoochee Hills and Palmetto as affected areas.
The disruption followed a break in a 12-inch water main near the treatment plant at about 5pm on Sunday. Officials said the failure was unrelated to Hurricane Isaias and instead reflected the condition of the area’s infrastructure.
The damaged main supplied process water pumps at the plant. When the supply was interrupted, the pumps lost seal pressure and began to overheat, according to Atlanta Watershed Management.
Crews and contractors have completed repairs to the break, while officials continue to monitor water pressure and the treatment plant’s operations. The advisory will remain in force until required water samples have been collected and cleared under public health protocols.
Residents and businesses in the affected areas who experienced an outage or low pressure should use bottled water or bring tap water to a full rolling boil for at least one minute before drinking, cooking, preparing baby formula, brushing their teeth, making ice or preparing food.
People have also been advised not to drink from public water fountains in the affected area. Infants, older people and those with weakened immune systems should take particular care.
Customers can check whether their address is covered by the advisory using the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management’s public alerts map. Normal tap water use should not resume until the city confirms that the warning has been lifted.
