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DeKalb, Clayton counties to host water distribution | Updates

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ATLANTA — As metro Atlanta counties struggle with Georgia's recent freeze, damaged water pipes are wreaking havoc for plumbers, landlords and residents.

Cracked and busted pipes have impacted water pressure in residential and commercial buildings - some have triggered water outages and boil water advisories.

Here's a list of resources so far:

11Alive is working to bring resources and information as it is made available. Text "water" to 404-885-7600 for a list of resources.

People can get weather alerts from 11Alive's meteorologists on the 11Alive+ app on Roku and Amazon Fire TV. Download 11Alive News app and sign up to receive alerts for the latest. Follow below for updates.

Live updates 

11:15 p.m. | After four days without water, businesses in College Park expressed their frustrations Wednesday. Some have been forced to close due to water issues. 11Alive's Cody Alcorn has the latest: 

8:37 p.m. | JenCare Senior Medical Center and Kroger are offering water to south DeKalb County residents impacted by water main breaks.

Water bottles will be distributed at JenCare Senior Medical Center in Decatur at 2124 Candler Road on Thursday. People can stop by between noon and 4 p.m. to receive water while supplies last.

8:10 p.m | Dunwoody officials want to remind people that DeKalb County Watershed Management crews will repair an 8-inch water main break near 1224 Hammond Drive starting at 10 p.m. Crews will work overnight and are scheduled to complete the work by 5 a.m. Thursday. 

"During this time, residents and businesses in the area may experience low to no water pressure. Water service to the homes and businesses in the immediate surrounding area will be shut off at midnight," the City of Dunwoody wrote in a social media post

Drivers should expect delays in the area due to lane closures, officials said. 

7:00 p.m.  | 11Alive's Bobeth Yates was in Clayton County where Clayton residents continue to feel the impact from burst pipes and broken water mains leading to massive water outages. 

To help speed up the repair process, officials want the community to report leaks. Clayton County said Wednesday afternoon some residents' water pressure was restored but you may see it drop again, as new leaks spring up.  

6:38 p.m. | Fulton County said crews are continuing repairs at four facilities affected by water damage. Although reopening dates have not yet been finalized, workers are prioritizing repairs at the following locations below: 

  • Milton Library
  • Dr. Robert E. Fulton Library at Ocee
  • Helene S. Mills Senior Multipurpose Facility
  • Hapeville Senior Center

Other Fulton County facilities impacted that are scheduled to be closed on Thursday, Dec. 29 and reopen Tuesday, Jan. 3 are listed below. There is an exception for Oak Hill Facility, which will reopen on Thursday, Dec. 29. 

  • South Fulton Service Center (Stonewall Tell Road)
  • Fairburn Library
  • College Park Library
  • West End Library
  • Metropolitan Library
  • New Beginnings Senior Center
  • Camp Truitt Senior Center
  • Bethlehem Senior Center
  • Southeast Senior Center
  • New Horizons Senior Center
  • College Park Health Center

6:09 p.m. | DeKalb County said it has lifted its boil water advisory, which began on Monday. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division reviewed its water microbiological test results and authorized the advisory to be lifted, the county said. 

The boil water was previously in effect for the following areas: 

  • Area 1, which is south of Henderson Road, north of Rockbridge Road, east of I-285, and west of the DeKalb/Gwinnett County line.
  • Area 2, which is south of East College Avenue, north of Linecrest/County Line Road, east of City Atlanta border and west of I-285.

6:06 p.m. | A burst pipe disrupted MARTA service at the Civic Center stations, according to the transportation authority.

Single tracking is in effect for the north-south line at the Civic Center, Peachtree Center and Five Points. This means that one track is out of service as crews perform maintenance. 

All trains are boarding from the northbound platform only, according to officials.

5:15 p.m. | Clayton County Water Authority officials are moving Thursday's bottled water distribution site to one of its facilities off Flint River Road in Jonesboro. Officials said customers should enter at 8890 Roberts Road (off of Flint River Road) and follow signs to the back entrance to CCWA's W.B. Casey Water Resource Recovery Facility. 

The distribution site will be open Thursday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. or as long as supplies last. One case will be provided per vehicle and an ID is not required for pickup. 

There will also be water distribution on Friday, Dec. 30. Officials said they will share those times Thursday afternoon. 

5:13 p.m. | Crews with the DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management said they have finished water main repairs at 17 locations: 

  • Greenwood Place, Decatur
  • Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Miller Road
  • Electric Ave, Decatur
  • West Hampton Circle, Tucker
  • Hardee Ave, Chamblee
  • Rowland Road, Stone Mountain
  • I-85 and Shallowford
  • Tucker Industrial Road and Florence Street, Tucker
  • Wildcat Road
  • Rainbow Road
  • Rollingwood Drive
  • Forkner Drive, Decatur
  • 4894 Twin Branches
  • 1322 Briarwood Road
  • 7061 Dean Court
  • 3876 Lawrenceville Highway
  • 3891 McElroy Road

Additionally, crews are still working to repair two more water main breaks at these locations:

  • East Ponce de Leon, Scottdale
  • Hammond Drive, Dunwoody

4:30 p.m. | FORSYTH COUNTY LIFTS ADVISORY

County officials lifted its boil water advisory for customers north of S.R. 369. Water quality tests show the water is safe for consumption without boiling.

The advisory was issued after people experienced little to no water pressure on Christmas Day because of a frozen pump station valve at the north high pump station, according to the water authority.

4:27 p.m. | College Park announced city facilities are closed to the public as they work to restore water service.

Residents can pick up water at Fire Station No. 1 at 3737 College St. and Fire Station No. 3 at 5131 West Fayetteville Rd. from 8L30 a.m. to 8 p.m., or as long as supplies last on Wednesday.

Those who are in need of water distribution assistance can call 404-761-3131 Ext. 2323. People can report water line breaks at 404-669-3131.

3:50 p.m. | Henry County Water Authority is reminding customers they can receive two leak credits within a 12-month period - and leaks that have happened as a result of the arctic blast won't count against them.

"We realize that additional water usage as a result of pipes bursting puts a strain on our customers. Customers are responsible for payment water usage through the water meter. However, Henry County Water Authority (HCWA) does offer leak credits to its customers. The credit to the customer is roughly 60% of the excess water loss as a result of leak," the water authority said in a news release.

People can apply for leak discounts using this link and check out the policy here.

3:45 p.m. | Gwinnett County is reminding residents of their Leak Adjustment Request Form. It's an adjustment that's only offered once in a 12-month period. 

The county water authority says it is not responsible for repairing leaks on the customer's side of the meter.

Residents can apply for a leak adjustment here. They can also review the county's Resident Responsibility page.

3:30 p.m. | Three clinics in Fulton County will be closed Wednesday, with all three citing water pressure issues.

Here are the closed clinics:

  • Oak Hill Child, Adolescent & Family Center at 2805 Metropolitan Pkwy in Atlanta, GA 30315
  • South Fulton Service Center at 5710 Stonewall Tell Rd College Park, GA 30349
  • College Park Regional Health Center at 1920 John Wesley Ave. College Park, GA 30337

Vaccines will also not be done “until further notice,” according to a Facebook post from the Fulton County Board of Health.

2:05 p.m. | Along with Clayton County water distribution sites, the Tabernacle of Praise Church International is also hosting its own water distribution event Wednesday.

Vehicles will get a case of water between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., while supplies last, at 7086 Tara Blvd. in Jonesboro.

2 p.m. | Cobb County officials are informing residents of their leak credit application.

The water system has a Leak Credit Policy that provides a partial credit for eligible leaks once in a rolling 12-month period. The credit can be applied to no more than two affected months. The purpose of the policy is to assist customers with a partial offset of the costs associated with certain plumbing failures, not to fully compensate a customer for the costs of a leak. 

"Customers are responsible for paying the water bill while waiting for a leak credit to be processed," the water authority said on its website.

To apply for the leak credit application, click here.

1:55 p.m. | Clayton County Water Authority officials are reporting slow improvements to the system as they urge property owners to check their properties for internal leaks

11:25 a.m. | Union City put out a statement saying there is no estimated time that water service is being restored. However, water pressure is slowly increasing to normal limits.

Water pressure is slowly increasing to normal operating limits throughout the City. As service is restored, residents...

Posted by City Government of Union City on Wednesday, December 28, 2022

11:20 a.m. | The Department of Watershed Management put out a notice saying that currently, there is no estimated time for water restorations.

11:11 a.m. | The Butts County Water & Sewer Authority is collecting bacteria samples to confirm whether or not the water is in fact bacteria free. The county said it will announce the results of their findings tomorrow, which will determine if residents will have to continue boiling their water before using.

10:15 a.m. | The Department of Watershed Management put out a notice that it has not issued a boil water advisory anywhere at this time.

9:10 a.m. | The Atlanta Watershed management department has issued a release outlining efforts to restore service in Fairburn:

The Department of Watershed Management has recently been provided information linking specific locations within the City of Fairburn experiencing water interruptions and low water pressure. Currently, we have staff on site investigating the root causes of interruptions in water services within the vicinity of Rivertown Road and Cedar Grove Road. We will focus efforts on additional locations as we obtain more information.

DWM crews will work aggressively around the clock to make repairs to water assets within the South Fulton area. The Department of Watershed Management is committed to addressing water issues throughout the City of Atlanta and all service areas due to the recent inclement weather.

Please follow us on our social media platforms @ATLWatershed as we will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

6:50 a.m. | The City of Fairburn will continue water distribution Wednesday.

The hours of distribution will be 10:00am to 2:00pm and 5:00pm to 9:00pm. The location will be at the Fairburn Annex building at 40 Washington Street, Fairburn, GA 30213. Identification and verification of a valid city address required.

UPDATE: AS OF DECEMBER 27, 6:30PM - LOW / NO WATER PRESSURE: Fairburn utility crews have been actively canvassing and...

Posted by City of Fairburn on Tuesday, December 27, 2022

5:50 a.m. | The City of South Fulton will be distributing water from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cases are limited to one per vehicle and you must show proof of an address.

Residents in need of water can find assistance from 8am until 5 pm at the locations provided below. Limit of 1 case per...

Posted by City of South Fulton, GA on Tuesday, December 27, 2022

5:30 a.m. | The City of Forest Park is hosting a water distribution event Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Forest Park Recreation Center parking lot.

Cases of water will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. One case will be given per vehicle and city residents must show proof of residency in order to receive a case.

5:00 a.m. | College Park said it's currently out of water-filling bottles. Officials said to bring your own filling bottles and buckets. Water will be available at the following locations beginning Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.:

  • Fire Station 1
    3737 College Street College Park, GA 
  • Fire Station 3
    5131 West Fayetteville Road College Park, GA 

For more information from the previous day, click here.

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