Residents want to know timeline for repairing water main breaks

ATLANTA — Thousands of people in Atlanta continue to deal with the fallout from several major water main breaks, which have led to a boil water advisory for parts of the city.

Midtown residents, in particular, expressed their frustration to 11Alive on Monday. But amid all the concerns, there was a general gratitude for the support of the area’s community.

For example, resident Debra Burse said she is grateful for the support she receives in her community, because she and her grandbabies would not be well without it. A water main break at the intersection of 11th Street NE and West Peachtree Street NW left them with periods without water. The city said it was unable to provide a timeline for repairs.

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“It’s just confusing. I don’t know what to do,” she said. “I don’t have any water…I have a 2-year-old and a 9-month-old, and I’m going to have to bathe them with this water here.”

Burse picked up two cases of water at Fire Station No. 15 in Midtown Monday morning. She hopes the city will make repairs before needing more.

“I just pray that things work out,” she said. “Nothing to do but pray and cross your fingers about it.”

Michael Voth, who lives near Fire Station No. 15, told 11Alive he was very concerned about how the boil water notice would affect his neighbors. One of them is recovering from a hip replacement; the other has just had an operation for a hernia.

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“They can’t walk. They can’t go out and get water or anything like that,” he said. “That’s a bit of what I do today: being the legs of people who can’t go out.”

Several fire stations across the city are offering free cases of water to people affected by a series of water main breaks, including Fire Station #15 in Midtown and Fire Station #11 in Atlantic Station .

“It’s a bit of a hassle having to boil water, and even once you do, I’m not sure it’s safe,” said another resident, Richard Satchell. “I just pour water over my toothbrush and brush my teeth. I drink a lot of tea, so I just pour a bottle of water into the kettle and do it that way.”

He said he and his neighbors are grateful for all the community support.

“A lot of people in my building and I have health issues … so I’m wary of even boiled water,” Satchell said. “(The fire station and my building) were kind enough to give us water.”