Much of the Atlanta metropolitan region was put on boil water alert on May 31st after a ruptured water main interrupted service.
According to the city’s Department of Watershed Management (DWM), personnel started fixing the break near the junction of J.P. Brawley Drive and Boone Boulevard in northwest Atlanta.
While crews worked to fix the break in the transmission pipe that supplies the metropolitan region with water, officials issued a warning that low water pressure could affect some homes and that water service would be temporarily turned off in other places.
In a statement, the DWM said that staff were extra cautious and followed the guidelines set by Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division (EPD) when they issued a boil water warning as they worked on the main break. In order to restore system pressures, it was also requested that all households limit their water consumption to essential purposes only.
The DWM has issued a public health alert, advising anybody living in areas with water outages or low pressures to boil water they plan to use.
A minute after the water reaches a rolling boil is the recommended time for safety, according to the notice. People in the affected location should not consume water from public fountains.
When there is a problem with the water supply or concerns about contamination, boiling the water is one of the most dependable ways to disinfect it for human use.
To avoid illness, boil the water and then cool it before storing it in clean, sterilized containers with tight lids, according to the DWM.
Zoo Atlanta and The Georgia Aquarium reportedly shut down early on Friday. When power outages occur, the zoo has backup procedures to keep the animals hydrated, according to a statement from zoo authorities.
According to the regulators, it should be fine to wash your hands vigorously or take a shower with tap water for basic personal hygiene.
According to the department’s announcement, the boil water warning will be in place until DWM officials get clearance to remove it based on sampling standards. When the alert can be removed, the state’s EPD will also inform Atlanta’s watershed management authorities.
