Parts of the city of Atlanta remain under a boil water advisory and will be until Saturday after a power outage at the city’s main water treatment plant.
Early Friday morning, the city says Hemphill Water Treatment Plant experienced an hour-long power outage to two of its three big pumps.
Now, they have to assess the water quality before they can lift the advisory.
Atlanta Watershed Commissioner Greg Eyerly told Channel 2’s Richard Elliot that the problem happened when they suddenly lost power Friday morning.
“Took about an hour. Pressure dropped in some parts of the city, and seven pressure sensors located where it dropped below 20 psi, pounds per square inch. That is the regulatory threshold that we have to issue a boil water advisory,” Eyerly said.
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Even with the water pressure back up, Eyerly said the water must be tested, and that could take up to 18 hours before the state can give the OK to lift the advisory.
Elliot went to East Atlanta Village and spoke with half a dozen restaurants, who said they didn’t know there was an advisory.
Jon Frechette with Park Pet Supply told Elliot that he did hear about the advisory.
“I just heard that there was a boil water advisory for East Atlanta and for downtown into East Atlanta. So, I checked the map and saw that we are one of the affected areas,” Frechette said.
Eyerly said they’re doing everything they can to get the word out.
“We use every possible outlet as we can to include yourselves. That’s why you’re our biggest help when it comes to these kinds of issues to get the word out,” Eyerly said.
Watershed management said it also had to call every single hotel in the downtown area to let them know to let their guests know about the advisory.
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