DeKalb Water Main Break Is Repaired; Water Tests Underway
Decatur Metro | July 26, 2015 | 8:13 amDeKalb County posted the following on its Twitter account an hour ago…
Great news: the water main break at Evans/Henderson Mill is repaired. Water pressure 1/2 back to normal & improving. pic.twitter.com/fnwyCf1svF
— DeKalb County, GA (@ItsInDeKalb) July 26, 2015
But they also said that they’re still testing the water before lifting the water boil advisory.
Boil water advisory still in effect, out of caution. Water testing being done now. Will update here when lifted.
— DeKalb County, GA (@ItsInDeKalb) July 26, 2015
Also note that DeKalb says it will be a few hours before water pressure is fully restored…
It could take a few hours for water pressure to return to normal, however, officials have been notified of your reports re: lack of water.
— DeKalb County, GA (@ItsInDeKalb) July 26, 2015
So sit tight. It seems like everything will be back to normal soon with any luck!
Water pressure improved for about 30 minutes, then plummeted to zero on East College.
Still no water here in Oakhurst.
Embarrassed to be from Dekalb County this weekend.
We have no water here in the Rosewalk neighborhood either (just west of downtown Decatur)
Someone on Facebook said that it takes a while for water to fill up your particular “water house “whatever that is.
Here’s Dekalb’s latest tweet. Sounds like water pressure return isn’t instantaneous…
It could take a few hours for water pressure to return to normal, however, officials have been notified of your reports re: lack of water.
Anyone know about church services this am in the city–on or off? Particularly Decatur First UMC?
Nothing on their Facebook page. Thx
No water at all in Oakhurst. Not no water pressure, no water at all. I’m sorry but Dekalb county has embarrassed itself with this one. What kind of municipality allows it’s citizens to go without drinkable water for 4 days?
No evidence of water pressure improvement in the WP part of Decatur. In fact I would argue it is actually worse!
On the bright side the cleaning of bathrooms and washing of clothes can be put off for yet another day and I can spend time with my kids.
Enjoy your day every one!
making my famous 12-Hour Dekalb Soup this morning
1. fill a large pot, drop by drop, with a gallon of water
2. boil vigorously until the bacteria stop screaming
3. add carrots, potatoes, onions, and thin slices of chicken
4. cook for 20 minutes, or until chicken is tender
5. season with a thimbleful of your remaining patience
enjoy
WSB-TV just reported that the water testing won’t be done until tomorrow/Monday! Can DecaturMetro confirm that? why on earth can’t they do the testing today (Sunday)?!
There is NO water at all. How is this fixed when there was actual flow this morning? Does not sound right at all.
DeKalb’s latest tweet says “It takes several hours for pressure to normalize. Please turn off all unnecessary water sources, as continuous checking slows the process.” https://twitter.com/ItsInDeKalb/status/625307100714020864
But what about the TESTING? WSB-TV said water testing (Quality…not pressure) won’t be done until tomorrow. Do we know why they can’t test it today.
We were over at our new property in Chamblee doing some work yesterday and there were no water pressure issues at all–and it’s closer to the break than here. Weird.
Here in Stone Mtn, there was water from 6-9am. Now at 11a there’s nothing. Go figure
As of 11am, we have about 3/4 pressure here in Tucker. Which is weird because we’re closer to the break than Decatur or Oakhurst!
But to be on the safe side, we’re heading to Gwinnett for lunch. :/
at 6:30 this morning, our water pressure was normal (off West Howard, near DHS). However, it has been a tiny trickle since 10:00. Enough to brush our teeth by, but nothing else.
Yikes! Make sure you boil it before you brush your teeth with it! (Or use bottled water). Area around Renfroe is still extremely low pressure.
I hope this gets completely reported. There are a lot of questions like: what happens if there is a fire? Why doesn’t Decatur get water from either the giant tank at Clairemont and Mason Mill or the one just beyond the city limits on DeKalb Ave.? Are they empty? What would have happened if two fire hydrants had been hit?
Zero water upstairs, and a very small trickle downstairs, less than while they were fixing it last night.
Decaturish says everything could be resolved by this afternoon…
http://www.decaturish.com/2015/07/dekalb-county-water-pressure-returning-advisory-could-be-lifted-this-afternoon/
Your lips to God’s ears. It’s not pleasant drinking boiling water.
yup, and these blisters from bathing in it aren’t going away anytime soon.
It’s not the end of the world. It will be fixed. Pipe down (get it?) and enjoy the day.
Since our usual Sunday hangout at the Decatur Starbucks was closed, my friends and I went to the one at Ansley Mall. We weren’t there 20 minutes when that area lost its water, so no Starbucks treats or anything else uncanned or bottled drinkable at that mall. Not sure what happened, but you can’t make this stuff up. Much better pressure here on Avery Street now than this morning, so things are improving.
About 12:30 we passed a bunch of equipment on Ponce westbound near the old Sears working on what looked to be a relatively new leak with a small geyser.
Dancing Goats was open today!
Piss poor performance on the part of the Water Department in repairing what was admittedly a big, ugly rupture, and especially on the part of county leadership in terms of being out in front, communicating with the public and taking ownership of the situation. I’m talking to you, Lee May.
Remember last year when they had that spill in West Virginia that contaminated the water supply near Charleston? It was national news for days. This situation affects three times as many people and has been going on since Thursday, and I have yet to see anything from our CEO even acknowledging the gravity of the problem. Makes you want to storm the Maloof Building with pitchforks and scythes.
Per AJC, even though the rupture was repaired overnight, they discovered this afternoon that a valve was blocked/closed which prevented the pressure from recovering properly. That’s now fixed, so hopefully we’re returning to first world status.
And if you are not a Twitter user and have to depend on the periodic press release updates on dekalbcountyga.gov, you get a nonworking link at http://www.onedekalb.com when you try to sign up for additional updates.
I actually questioned this yesterday when I read the first release and contacted one of the press contact folks listed at his mobile number. He said he had just been made aware that “that particular server was down.” So why then keep the reference to the nonworking link in subsequent releases? I chose not to call back with that question because I didn’t want to be told that the press release format is a template with standard boilerplate. Unfortunately that lousy excuse would be typical of our county officials.
No problem here on the Old Dirt Road. Future selling point: “Charming Decatur craftsman, on a historic Civil War era road, with no water pressure issues during the 2015 DeKalb WaterAmagedum. Literally (and I’ve used this word properly) within walking distance of Glenlake park, pool and tennis courts and the City of Decatur cemetery (for those distinctive buyers that have a tombstone fetish). Recently listed at $500,000, a bargain for those desperate for good public schools, a sense of Southern history and anyone who values barred owls.”
The Decatur YMCA has canceled all camps for tomorrow (Monday) because it is still having problems with its water.
Now I have to take a day off from work because I have no other childcare for my kids. Thanks DeKalb County Watershed, Charles Lambert, and Interim CEO Lee May.
Voters – how about some meaningful change in the next election cycle?
County government does not own anyone a guarantee of childcare services. Consider teaming up with a neighbor or another patron of the YMCA to make arrangements for childcare so that you can go to work. Or, take your child to work, most likely, your colleagues will understand.
Most larger workplaces and government workplaces do not let parents bring their children to work all day. It’s a liability issue.
This is a joke, right? Haha. Good one. Sure. I’ll just team up with someone from a camp roster that I’ve never seen. Great idea.
I never said that the county had to guarantee anyone childcare. Only that it needs to perform their duties competently. Like providing watershed management, for example. DeKalb County, and specifically it’s watershed department, has been corrupt and mismanaged for years. And I have had it.
It sounds like you don’t understand (or just refuse to acknowledge) the utter failure by DeKalb County and crisis that this has presented for hospitals, businesses, long-term care facilities, wage earners across the county.
I remember how hard it is to find appropriate child care at the last minute. Being frustrated when that happens is not like asking the government for a handout. Of course, you’ll find a solution that works–that’s why you are a good parent and good employee–but there’s an awful lot of stress and inconvenience while you figure it out. Most people can empathize.
Thank you. 🙂
We have a little baby. Does anyone out there know if we can wash the dishes, take a shower and such with this water? I can’t believe how little information is out there about this situation. It’s like we are living in a third world country.
Power or water outages with little ones is the pits, especially they last more than a day. If you can afford it, I suggest getting a motel room where there’s water and having a mini-vacation. It can be worth every penny.
holiday inn cambodia
+1
I can’t believe all the complaining here. Yes, it stinks. Yes, I’d prefer to have water coming out of my faucet. But geez, folks, the world is not coming to an end. A 48 inch water pipe is no joke. Could it have been fixed faster? I bet so. But it isn’t, so just chill out. It’s not like the grocery stores are out of water. And neither is Atlanta. We will live!
I am pretty sure that wage earners who were sent home, business-owners who had to shut their doors, immune-compromised people who drank dirty water, people who don’t have money to spend on bottled water, or aren’t mobile enough to go out for water would disagree with your cavalier dismissal. But hey, let’s all just chill. Good plan.
+1
In 18 years of living down the rabbit hole…er….in Georgia, I have learned that the cardinal rule is never to complain. Remember at all times that everything is “wunnerful”.
(Lest anyone miss the irony, of course you’re right, and of course this episode is appalling, as is our entire infrastructure in greater ATL)
The little Kroger IS out of water. I just came back from there and they do not have single bottle to sell.
GreenTea: This might help (from Dekalb’s Twitter feed): http://t.co/nnIDwdDZUn
See pages 2-4.
thank you
So I’m back from a week’s vacation out of state. Anything interesting happen while I was gone?
🙂
Wow. Civilians crack me up. Talk about your definition of first world problems.
Be glad you live in a place where you can buy bottled water and put it in your fridge.
Hate to think about the level of panic and whining if we had a real catastrophe.
Ok, sorry, had to rant.
Ever consider that if we simply accept edging toward disaster, step by step, we make true catastrophe more likely? That unquestioning acceptance is in and of itself a problem? No? Then if you are indeed a veteran, as you imply, you might want to look at how the suppression and ignoring of dissenting voices led us into needless war in the past, just as one particularly important example. And by the way, does anyone detect a gender divide in this thread?
The main problem is that DeKalb County has supplied no meaningful information about the level of contamination in the water. We have no real idea about the condition of the water. Nor did DeKalb county effectively inform the citizens early on about the water problem.
When issues require more than the swipe of a P-card, the county seems to be at a loss for what to do.
You are so right. Not having water freely flowing from the tap for less than a 48 hour period is clearly only a few steps away from complete chaos. Next thing you know, our cable will go out (gulp!). After that, Decatur becomes militarized and they start rationing out craft beer! Then that little kid from the mad max movie starts throwing around a boomerang that is actually a blade..mel gibson shows up in a ’70’s cop car with a dog…there’s that creepy guy with the mohawk…forget it. My bad. I’m building a bunker.
Whether the water outage was a big deal or a small deal, a minor inconvenience or a challenging imposition, depends on where you sit and what your personal circumstances are. I’m fortunate enough that, for me, it was nothing more than a minor pain in the ass. I had opportunities to fill my tub for flush-water and was easily able to run to Publix for bottled water. But others had different experiences and that should not be dismissed.
As others have said, the complaints here are more than anything rooted not in the scope, scale or details of the problem but in the fact that DeKalb County seems woefully unaware that unmet expectations are the root of discontent. The rupture may have come out of nowhere and fall into the Sh*t Happens category but their PR problem was entirely self-inflicted. People grew madder than they needed, in most cases, to be because they felt powerless. And that was because they didn’t have basic details about what was going on.
A lot people didn’t work or get paid for 3 days. That is a problem for them.
If this was a test run for the zombie apocalypse, we are all clearly doomed.
^This.
Tyler (interesting movie); how much do you think this episode has cost individuals and businesses in Dekalb County? Couple of thousand, 10s of thousands, millions, or 10s of millions? Or just a little inconvenience?
I think the underlying fear of many of us is, given the response of the County to this limited infrastructure/public health issue, how will it ever be able to handle a major disaster if one should hit. And given enough time, one will hit, whether it be a tornado, flu epidemic, massive ice storm, or terrorism.
hopefully if a major disaster does strike the area, we won’t have to rely on just the county watershed management. FEMA will come in and make everyone forget about dekalb county watershed. then again, we might be wishing they, instead of fema, would be in charge of handling the flu pandemic. i guess we’ll find out.
but seriously, a massive water pipe burst and it took a little over a weekend to fix it. what would have been the best case scenario in this situation, the middle of the road scenario, and how for off was this scenario? don’t get me wrong, i’m not a fan of dekalb county anything, and this is a golden opportunity to pile on, but was it really a reason to fear for our future when the big one hits?
I’m definitely relying on DM and Decaturish for disaster info!
Here’s my question to the people in this thread who are acting like this situation isn’t as big as it appears to be. WHAT LIFE ARE YOU LIVING? Where you don’t have to wash your buttcrack, armpits or crotch to get through the day? There are people who have errands to run, business to take care of that demands water. I have running water and I’m thankful for that, but this boil advisory is taking too long. Those of you on this thread saying just go buy bottle water or be thankful we have a place to buy bottled water and store in our fridge sounds so cliche. So you’re saying you got ‘bottled water money’ to fill your tub up enough for flush water, bath water, cook water and toothbrush water. Again, what kinda life do you live where you, 1) Have money or credit like that. And, 2) have a work life and lifestyle like that, where you can go out in public, around compatriots and do things with an unclean body and unclean mouth and eat take-out all day? The households and business in Stone Mountain, Clarkston, Decatur, Avondale Estates and Tucker this ‘episode’ has affected aren’t all in the same tax bracket. It’s nothing to be ashamed about. We Iive in a muti-economical class society. Their households and businesses won’t permit them to go too long without water. If the water isn’t clean enough to ingest then is it AT LEAST clean enough to wash our body, our dishes, our shops and our clothes in? That’s all I’m asking. Where’s the since of urgency and professionalism from the Dekalb County. Ideally speaking, Your pay doesn’t determine our performance: Your performance determines our pay.
it’s not all a question of tax brackets, some of it is attitude. and yes, some people are better able to deal with the inconvenience than others, but it’s not like anybody died of hunger or uncleanliness (afaik), or property was lost or destroyed.
On a lighter note (maybe), a poster on Decaturish says “…FEMA/GEMA had to close a mile away from the broken line because it had no bottled water.”
LOL
I’m not saying it was a good thing. Not having tap water for 48 hours sucks.
I’m not saying the county did everything right, especially releasing appropriate information.
I’m just saying the level of anger and near hysterics is comical (to me.)
I think it’s very indicative of the facebook/twitter/instagram world we live in, and it makes me chuckle.
I also showered as soon as the water pressure returned…this was a main break, not a sewage spill..lighten up Francis.
I guess, other than a few more “tweets” or whatever, I don’t see what else could have been done.
I’m by no means some prepper nerd, but I have been in places much much worse than our lovely city without water for 48 hours…..so here’s a few tips: save your money and buy a generator. Keep a good supply of water on hand (it’s cheap). Don’t rely so much on other people. Also, when manufacturing outrage in the comment section of a blog, at least have a sense of humor about it.
Uh huh. The usual libertarian nonsense. Glad you think that endless discussion of the latest restaurants to arrive in Decatur is less worthy of mockery as trivia than the issue of clean water. I also note your reluctance not to have the last word. When we have an outbreak of cholera because nobody complains as sanitation standards decline, we will be sure to call on you for your wit and wisdom.
“libertarian nonsense” is saying to keep water on hand in case of emergencies? Interesting. And for the record, complaining about government inefficiencies (or flat out incompetence) is much more libertarian.
“Keep a good supply of water on hand (it’s cheap). Don’t rely so much on other people.”
Sage advise, as always. I keep at least 2.5 gallons in reserve at all times, and was happy to have it. It takes up little space and, as Tyler said, is cheap.
Everyone should have an emergency store of a day or two’s worth food and water, at least. I also keep a water filter on hand just in case — the kind that would allow you to effectively filter water from a puddle, if you had to. Available on Amazon for about $20, as I recall.
Now let the mocking by the unprepared commence . . .
And an ample supply of ammunition. I’m sure you can guess my preferred caliber. 🙂
Word. I have a 9mm myself.
Will this be the event that causes the citizens of Dekalb County to wake up and throw all of these buffoons out of office? I hope so, but sadly, I bet things go back to normal pretty quick.
Ummm…I’m a democrat.
Also, I love the restaurant/beer/donut/taco discussions, that’s actually why I come here.
And, too, excellent! If another one of these near apocalyptic events arises please contact me. I have a never ending supply of sarcasm…but if it does run out, I have knock knock jokes, and puppets.
Keep it friendly folks.
Ha!