Residents of Atlanta have been given the all-clear to drink water without boiling it, according to officials who announced the end of a six-day advisory on Thursday. This decision came after a major water main break occurred west of downtown, disrupting water service and leading to the advisory. Normal water flow and pressure were restored citywide on Wednesday, but further time was required to test for bacteria in order to confirm that the water was safe to consume.
The first leak took place on Friday and was repaired by Saturday. However, a second leak that started later on Friday wasn’t fixed until Tuesday. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens expressed his support for a plan to spend $5 million to reimburse businesses affected by the water outages. Additionally, he promised an assessment of the city’s infrastructure and deployment of monitors to detect leaking pipes.
The boil-water advisory never covered the entire city; it was lifted for most affected areas on Monday but remained in place for downtown and Midtown Atlanta as well as some eastern neighborhoods. This incident is part of a growing trend of failing infrastructure across the United States. A crisis in Jackson, Mississippi in 2022 left many residents without safe running water for weeks due to its troubled water system. Cities such as Flint, Michigan have also struggled to provide their residents with safe drinking water.
Atlanta’s water outages have drawn criticism towards Mayor Dickens, particularly due to his decision to leave town following the first major leak in order to attend a fundraiser for his 2025 reelection campaign and meet with leaders in Memphis, Tennessee to discuss crime and other issues. The administration defended the mayor’s decision, stating that it was not clear at the time that the first leak west of downtown would cause significant disruption. A second major leak occurred later on Friday in the city’s Midtown neighborhood.