ATLANTA (AP) — Businesses and attractions in downtown Atlanta were closed Saturday as the city tried to repair a burst water main that caused water outages and low water pressure.
Water overflowed into roadways where three large water mains intersect, causing water shortages at two downtown hospitals, the city jail, the county jail and local evacuation shelters, the Atlanta Water District Management Agency said in a news release Friday night.
Several attractions and businesses remained closed Saturday, including the Georgia Aquarium.
“The citywide water issue is still affecting the Aquarium and many other facilities in the area. While animals have not been affected, visitor areas such as restrooms have been affected,” the aquarium posted on X.
The problems began Friday morning and crews continued to work Saturday to restore service. The water department issued a boil water advisory for a wide swath of metro Atlanta and asked residents to limit water use to help restore pressure in the water system.
“The entire city government is mobilizing to address this issue,” the water department said. It promised to provide updates on its website and social media, but its site was down Saturday morning and there had been no updates on social media since Friday night. The water department’s public information office did not answer calls and did not immediately respond to an email seeking an update Saturday morning.
Rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s concert was rescheduled from Friday to Sunday. She was also scheduled to perform Saturday at State Farm Arena. That performance was scheduled to go on as scheduled as of Saturday morning.
“I am very disappointed as I had a big surprise planned for Hotties tonight but will follow the Mayor’s instructions,” she posted on X. “Praying for those who have lost access to water due to this situation.”
