DeKalb Water: Most Service Back, But Advisory Continues

DECATUR, GA — A boil-water advisory remained in effect for residents of DeKalb County Thursday afternoon, as crews continued to work to fix a water-main break that caused widespread low water pressure and outages.

Service and water pressure had been restored throughout most of the county by Thursday afternoon, but officials said the advisory could last for at least a couple more days as they do safety tests.

On Thursday, DeKalb County Emergency Management donated more than 72,000 bottles of water to county school campuses and three campuses of DeKalb Medical Center. Meanwhile, repair crews had laid a new 48-inch pipe to replace the one that broke early Wednesday.

Work was expected to be finished by Friday evening, county officials said. But, before the boil-water advisory can be lifted county officials said water-safety tests must be done. Samples for testing were drawn from 49 sites throughout the county and submitted to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division for evaluation, according to officials.

DeKalb County and City of Decatur schools were back in session, although students were being asked to bring their own bottled water a day after they were sent home because many campuses had no water. Buford Highway in Doraville, which had closed due to flooding from the 48-inch pipe's break, was back open and city and county government offices were back in business.

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All water customers who have experienced water outages or low water pressure were being advised to boil all water before drinking, cooking with it or preparing baby food. The water should be boiled for at least one minute after reaching its boiling point, officials said.

Acting DeKalb Watershed Management director Reggie Wells said Wednesday evening that the advisory could last into the weekend.

The break happened before 4:30 a.m. on a 48-inch transmission main near 5718 Buford Highway in Doraville, according to DeKalb County officials.

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond and other officials blamed some type of structural failure for the break. They said the water main is relatively new and age is not believed to be a factor in the break, but that an investigation will be conducted.

Thursday morning, water had been restored at Perimeter Mall, which was set to re-open at 10 a.m. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention campus was closed again Thursday, with all scheduled events canceled.

Wednesday night, the City of Decatur brought a tanker to a recreation center to offer clean water to those in need.

Photo courtesy DeKalb County government