That river of muddy water streaming across LaVista Road near Briarlake Elementary Thursday was the result of a water line break causing low pressure for nearby residents.

A DeKalb County crew worked for hours in shoulder-deep water Thursday afternoon to repair a break in a 6-inch residental water line on Chesterfield Drive at LaVista. DeKalb spokeswoman Sarah Page said repairs are expected to be completed this evening. Page said the break affected, at most, a few dozen homes on Chesterfield and a neighboring street.

Residents are not required to boil their water, she said.

Dekalb County struggles with such breaks regularly as it deals with its aging water infrastructure.

A week ago, a water line break in north DeKalb closed part of Buford Highway for portions of two days while it was repaired. And earlier this month, a break in a 36-inch line flooded streets and homes in Decatur, knocking out water to the city schools and creating a sinkhole on the roadway.

In 2015, the entire county was on a boil-water alert for days when a contractor broke through a 48-inch main in Tucker.

About the Author

Keep Reading

A crash on I-285 West at Buford Highway blocked the ramp from I-85 South onto the westbound Perimeter on Thursday, April 24, 2025. (Courtesy of Georgia Department of Transportation)

Credit: Georgia Department of Transportation

Featured

A smoggy skyline rose behind Hartsfield Jackson International Airport on June 12, 2024, when a Code Orange air quality alert was in effect. (John Spink/AJC)

Credit: John Spink/AJC