Water line problem worsened during cold weather, potentially costing Atlanta residents thousands

ATLANTA — An Atlanta neighborhood is concerned that the freezing temperatures will worsen a water line problem.

Homeowner Relando Walters watched as the ice built around his front yard amidst the frigid temperatures.

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“Hopefully, I get a Christmas gift, and somebody is like, ‘Oh, we’ll fix it for you,’ I don’t know,” Walters told Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco. “I’m not getting answers, and it’s been six weeks now. No one wants to take responsibility for it.”

Walters said he has a $3,000 water bill and that he believes it is because of the water line problems.

“What’s going to happen on Jan. 1st when the bill is due? Are you going to cut my water off?”

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Francisco reached out to the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management and was told that they cannot make repairs to water lines on private property and that it is up to the Homeowners Association to fix the problem.

HOA President Lauren Gibson said she had been pushing the management company that controls their money for help for weeks.

“It’s not the only leak; it’s not the first leak actually; there’s been a consistent leak across the street,” Gibson said. “We’re looking at $5,000, $10,000 plus right now with digging up sidewalks and trying to do some preliminary repairs, which our HOA fees are not equipped to handle this type of catastrophic situation.”

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With freezing temperatures threatening to make this a safety hazard, Gibson said she would soon have to inform residents that they would all have to pitch in during the holidays to pay for it.

After Francisco reached out to the Mayor’s Office and Watershed, the city sent a technician out to shut the water off. However, the worker told neighbors that the valve was installed incorrectly.

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