Say What Now? Atlanta Mayor Declares State of Emergency Following Water Main Breaks, Hospital That Moved Patients Resumes Normal Operations

Following two major water main breaks on Friday in Atlanta, many households and businesses in Midtown and Downtown… The post Say What Now? Atlanta Mayor Declares State of Emergency Following Water Main Breaks, Hospital That Moved Patients Resumes Normal Operations appeared first on LOVEBSCOTT.

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Jun 3, 2024 - 14:00
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Say What Now? Atlanta Mayor Declares State of Emergency Following Water Main Breaks, Hospital That Moved Patients Resumes Normal Operations

Following two major water main breaks on Friday in Atlanta, many households and businesses in Midtown and Downtown are without water, but repairs are being made, according to officials.

The significant disruption to water service in Georgia’s capital is the latest dramatic example of how aging infrastructure throughout the United States has impacted electrical grids, bridges and roadways, dams and other vital systems, inconveniencing millions of Americans or placing them in danger.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens on Saturday declared a state of emergency just a few hours after crews repaired one of two major water main breaks in the city’s downtown area. The other, in the Midtown neighborhood, is still undergoing services with no estimate on when it will be repaired.

Repair crews have made “significant progress in localizing the repairs” as they continue to address the broken water main at the intersection of West Peachtree Street and 11th Street in Midtown, Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management said early Sunday.

Video from CNN affiliate WANF showed water gushing from a pipe onto a blocked-off portion of West Peachtree Street as crews worked to address it.

Atlanta Watershed reported another possible water main break in the city earlier Sunday and announced emergency repairs on a 6-inch water main near the Candler Park neighborhood were complete by late Sunday afternoon. Water service was restored to 35 nearby homes and four hydrants, the city agency said.

The first issues began Friday after breaks on a 48-inch and 36-inch transmission line “that carries large volumes of water to the metropolitan area,” according to Atlanta Watershed.

The water main breaks left parts of downtown Atlanta without water and under boil water advisories, shuttering tourist attractions and forcing events to be postponed.

After repairs to the initial water main break downtown were completed, crews fully restored water service to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the Fulton County Jail, Atlanta City Detention Center and other facilities, the city agency said.

On Sunday, the city distributed water at two city fire stations, limiting cases to one per resident amid ongoing water issues. “We are currently working on getting more water delivered to all stations,” the City of Atlanta said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, the city’s Emory University Hospital Midtown and its ambulances resumed normal operations Sunday after the hospital experienced water pressure issues due to the water main breaks on Saturday, according to Janet Christenbury, director of media relations.

The disruptions prompted the hospital on Saturday to transfer dialysis patients to other hospitals and divert ambulances from its emergency department, except for people with urgent heart concerns, a hospital spokesperson told CNN in a statement.

“Tomorrow, we will operate on regular schedules for outpatient doctor’s appointments, procedures and surgeries,” Christenbury said in a statement.

The hospital said it brought in around 58,000 gallons of water in six tanker trucks to use in chillers and cooling towers on Saturday and distributed bottled water to patients for drinking and personal care needs.

“We will continue to provide bottled water to patients, visitors and staff while the hospital remains under a boil water advisory, like many of the affected areas in Atlanta,” Christenbury said.

Urgent surgeries were not affected on Saturday, the hospital said.

via: CNN

The post Say What Now? Atlanta Mayor Declares State of Emergency Following Water Main Breaks, Hospital That Moved Patients Resumes Normal Operations appeared first on LOVEBSCOTT.

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