A significant water main break in downtown Atlanta has caused disruptions, leading to parts of the city being without water and under boil water advisories. Emory University Hospital Midtown had to transfer patients to other hospitals due to the situation.
The water service disruption began on Friday following breaks in a 48-inch and 36-inch transmission line that supplies water to the metropolitan area, as reported by Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management.
Although crews have repaired the water main breaks in downtown and Midtown, the repair timeline has faced delays due to unforeseen setbacks, according to Mayor Andre Dickens.
Emory University Hospital Midtown had to transfer dialysis patients to other Emory hospitals for treatment. The hospital's emergency department was only accepting ambulances for urgent heart concerns, while walk-in or drive-in patients were still being cared for as usual.
To address the water shortage, the hospital brought in approximately 58,000 gallons of water using tanker trucks for chillers and cooling towers. Bottled water is being distributed to patients for drinking and personal care needs.
While urgent surgeries continue unaffected, most outpatient appointments, including those in oncology and radiology, have been rescheduled or relocated to manage the situation.
