Water restored to Canton residents days after main break

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Water has been restored to hundreds of Cherokee County residents. They went without water for two days after a water main break at their apartment complex.

The water had been off at Bell Bridge Mill Apartments in Canton since early Friday afternoon. Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach confirmed Sunday morning that the water had been restored.

Residents were originally told through email that it could be Sunday night or even Monday before they had it back. An apartment representative told Channel 2's Ashley Swann on Saturday night they were doing all they could to fix it as quickly as possible.

The situation had residents, like Corey Schantz and hundreds of others, stockpiling bottled water for a second straight day.

"I've got four gallons here and we've probably gone through a few gallons. I know we probably have three or four still in the house," Schantz said Saturday.

The issue stemmed from a water main break at the front of the complex. Bell Bridge Mill managers sent an email to residents urging them to purchase bottled water for their homes and take water from the pool to flush their toilets.

"No shower, we can't cook. We can't do our dishes, so we can't cook, so it's just a hassle. It's ridiculous," said resident Heather Johnson.

Johnson said residents had cleaned all nearby grocery stores and gas stations out of water. More than the inconvenience, she said she was worried about her and her neighbors' safety.

"You have upwards of 200 to 300 families without water. People with kids, infants, elderly people," Johnson said. "We've had neighbors who have already had to call 911, an elderly couple, he's sick and they need water."

Swann saw some heavy equipment being brought in Saturday night, and a representative said at that time they were trying to get the water back on as soon as possible.

Residents told Channel 2 Action News on Sunday morning they're relieved to know their water has since been restored.

WSBTV