Atlanta water trouble: Many under boil-water advisory as Army Corps of Engineers assists

Residents across Atlanta woke up on Tuesday under a boil-water advisory for the fifth day as authorities – including the Army Corps of Engineers – raced to finish repairs on one of two water mains that burst on Friday, causing sweeping disruptions and outages throughout the city.

Here's what we know about the ongoing water crisis in Atlanta:

Atlanta water main breaks cause citywide trouble

The first water main break occurred Friday morning in downtown Atlanta and immediately caused widespread problems, impacting two area hospitals, two local jails, a pair of stadiums, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and thousands of homes and businesses.

Hours later, a pipe in the Midtown neighborhood started gushing water, leaving more residents, businesses and public facilities under boil-water advisories and, in some cases, without service altogether.

Over the next two days, the disruptions piled up. A pair of Megan Thee Stallion concerts scheduled for Friday and Saturday at State Farm Area were canceled. Shelters across downtown reported water outages. The Georgia Aquarium and Zoo Atlanta closed. And the city asked residents not to drink from public water fountains and to limit their usage at home.

Repairs and a lifted advisory

On Sunday, the city announced that crews completed repairs on the water main break in downtown, though boil-water advisories were still in effect. These repairs restored service to the airport, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena, the Fulton County Jail, Atlanta City Detention Center, high-rise apartments and many other homes and businesses, the city said.

On Monday, the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management lifted the boil-water advisory for the area affected by the water main break downtown. This came after officials confirmed the area's drinking water met or exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards, the city said in a statement.

An advisory remains in place for Midtown and several other neighborhoods in east Atlanta as of Tuesday morning. Atlanta Public Schools for the second day canceled summer school and other programs, citing citywide water main breaks.

What caused the water main breaks?

Al Wiggins Jr., the commissioner for Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management, has said corrosion and decay caused the downtown leak, adding that it was difficult to repair because the break occurred at a junction of three water main pipes.

Officials have not provided much information on the Midtown leak, which also occurred at a water main junction. Wiggins said in a news conference that city workers were unaware what caused the break. When speaking about the ongoing water main repairs and disruptions, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens pointed to aging infrastructure.

In a statement on the Army Corps of Engineers' involvement in efforts to repair the Midtown leak, Dickens said, "We have sought their assistance because they have the most experience in handling a crisis like this. They will help us develop a plan to assess and evaluate our aging infrastructure."

The latest on repairs

The city on Tuesday said the damaged water pipe causing outages and advisories in neighborhoods across east Atlanta has been removed and installation has begun.

Around 2 a.m., crews removed the rusty pipe and started digging out the hole and pumping out the excess water, the city said in a post on social media. Three hours later, sections of 30-inch pipe were lowered and crews began installing them to the water system.

"Some of the remaining steps include completing the installation, making two taps, and pressurizing the line," the city said in a statement. "Thank you for your continued patience and support."