Water main break disrupts businesses, tourist attractions in downtown Atlanta, other areas of city

Audio By Carbonatix

ATLANTA (AP) — A water main break has interrupted water service and led to low water pressure in the city's downtown and other parts of Georgia's capital.

Crews on Friday were “working aggressively” to make emergency repairs to the 32-inch water main, the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management said in a statement.

“Water service has been temporarily interrupted, affecting residents, businesses, and hydrants in the area,” the agency said.

The Department of Watershed Management issued a boil water advisory for a large swath of metro Atlanta and asked the public to restrict water usage to allow the pressure in the system to rebuild, WXIA-TV reported. During a boil water advisory, water should be boiled for one minute past a rolling boil. The advisory is in effect until the Georgia Environmental Protection Division clears the Department of Watershed Management to lift it following sampling and testing.

Some Atlanta and Fulton County offices closed because of the issue, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Tourist attractions were also affected, including the Georgia Aquarium, which ended operations early, the newspaper reported.

Zoo Atlanta closed early, at 1 p.m. Friday, because of the water pressure issues, the zoo announced. The zoo, southeast of the downtown area, “has contingency plans in place to ensure that the animals have access to water,” it said in a statement.