Editor’s note: This story has been updated throughout the day Monday.
At least four metro Atlanta counties have issued boil water advisories after freezing cold temperatures over the weekend disrupted their water systems, with one planning to distribute bottled water to residents.
The Clayton County Water Authority issued a boil water advisory Sunday after customers had reported low water pressure or no water around the county. By Monday afternoon, the water authority had opened several distribution sites to distribute bottled water to residents affected by the water issues.
Bottled water distribution site were opened at
- Fire Station 2 at 5329 Georgia Highway 42 in Ellenwood
- Fire Station 4 at 1034 E. Fayetteville Road in Riverdale
- Fire Station 13 at 264 North Main Street in Jonesboro
- Fire Station 14 at 4610 South Park Blvd in Ellenwood.
The distribution sites will be open until 9 p.m. and one case of bottled water will be provided per vehicle. The water authority plans to set up two other locations throughout the county for water distribution.
Forest Park officials distributed bottled water Monday afternoon as the county continues to deal with boil water advisory and water system issues.
General Manager H. Bernard Frank blamed the below-freezing temperatures.
“Our team is working to resolve the issue and restore service as quickly as possible. However, we do not have an estimate on when service will be restored,” Franks said in a news release. “We understand the difficulty this causes not only during an extreme cold weather event but also during the holiday.”
In a statement, Frank said there are warehouses, businesses, schools and churches that have been closed due to the holiday and have broken pipes that have gone unreported.
“This results in major water loss for our system. If anyone owns or maintains a property that has been closed, we ask that they go to that property and check to make sure they do not have any broken pipes,” Frank said.
Clayton customers with no water or low pressure who have not reported it, should contact the agency’s call center at 770-960-5200. When dialing, press 0 to report an emergency.
On Sunday, the Forsyth County Department of Water & Sewer issued an advisory for people that lost water pressure completely or feel they had extremely low pressure to boil water before drinking, cooking or preparing baby food until the boil water advisory has been lifted. The water should be boiled for at least one full minute after reaching full boil.
The boil water advisory is in effect for customers that are north of State Route 369 (Matt Highway) from the Hall County line to the Cherokee County border.
Crews identified a valve that delivers water to the system located at the north high service pump station froze during the multiple days of below freezing temperatures, as the cause for the various water outages and widespread low water pressure issues throughout the north of the county, according to the Forsyth County. The frozen valve has been resolved and water pressure is being restored to those impacted.
Multiple residents of DeKalb County told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Monday afternoon they were having water service issues but had received no response from the county’s water department.
Late Monday, a DeKalb resident forwarded to the AJC an email from DeKalb watershed stating crews have been repairing a water main break near Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Miller Road since Monday afternoon. The water main repair is affecting most of central and south DeKalb County and no time frame has been given for repairs to be completed. About 7 p.m., DeKalb officials announced they were repairing a second water main break on Roland Road.
A third water main break was reported around 8 p.m. at I-85 and Shallowford Road with crews onsite working on it.
A boil water advisory was issued for all residents on the North Monroe County Water System on Monday. The advisory was issued due to a water main leak and loss of pressure in the Butts County Water System, which services Monroe County, the county said.
Residents on Johnstonville Road and north of Johnstonville Road, other than River Forest, Riata and River Walk subdivision are under the boil water advisory. The county said the advisory is being issued out of an abundance of caution and will remain into effect until sampling can be conducted in accordance with regulatory guidelines.
Parts of Haralson County are also under a boil water advisory. The advisory is in effect for residents in the area east of Highway 27 and south of Highway 120.
The city of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management is investigating an interruption in water service and low water pressure throughout the city. There was no estimated time of repair as of Monday afternoon. Crews were also working multiple water main breaks across the city.
Atlanta residents are asked to call 311 to report water outage or low pressure.
As the main supply of water to areas below I-20 in Fulton County, water service issues at the Department of Watershed Management has impacted residents in the city of Fairburn. According to the city of Fairburn, city crews cannot directly address the issue because the affected waterlines appear to be outside of the city limits.
Fairburn officials said they are in contact with the city of Atlanta to address the issue, while Fairburn city utility crews are canvassing the city periodically to look for leaks or flooding impacts associated with any water lines.
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