Major water main breaks in Atlanta, Georgia, caused significant outages and disruptions, with Mayor Andre Dickens declaring a state of emergency in the city and a local hospital having to evacuate some patients to other locations. other establishments.
The breaks occurred Friday when corroded water pipes burst near downtown Atlanta. The site of the major water main break was repaired Saturday, with the system gradually being returned to service and no contamination found following the break, according to utility and city officials. .
A boil water advisory has been issued for the metro Atlanta area out of an abundance of caution, with the advisory continuing through Sunday as repairs continue. The major ruptures left much of Atlanta without running water.
On Saturday, Emory University Hospital in Midtown transferred dialysis patients to other hospitals and the hospital diverted ambulances except for patients with urgent heart problems.
The hospital said most outpatient appointments were postponed or moved due to broken pipes, as bottled water was distributed to patients for drinking and personal care.
“Health care is challenging enough to care for patients in a hospital,” Dr. Adam Webb, Emory Midtown’s chief operating officer, told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution in an interview. “And when you add to that not having water, not being able to flush the toilet and other things. Disturbing things at home are a real challenge and make the job even more complex.
Megan Thee Stallion’s concerts scheduled for Friday and Saturday were canceled due to the breaks. Many businesses have closed, including the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola. Other events in the region have also been canceled.
Residents are furious at the city’s slow communication about the disruptions. The mayor acknowledged the problems during a news conference Saturday.
“I’ll be frank: Overnight we didn’t do the best job of communicating,” Dickens said. “We could have done a better job over the last day. And for that, I apologize for not being able to provide you with as much up-to-date information as possible.
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