Water restored on Piedmont Avenue after water main break, lawmakers reach fix for aging pipes

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A water main break was reported at a major Atlanta intersection late Thursday morning. Crews worked for hours to get service restored to the nearly 30 businesses and two fire hydrants that were without it.

The break was at 1898 Piedmont Rd NE, near Cheshire Bridge Road NE. The break backed up traffic in the busy area and for many in the Atlanta area, it was a familiar disruption.

Last June, a water main break in the heart of Midtown left residents waterless for days on end. It promoted discussion among Georgia’s federal lawmakers on how to fix the city’s aging water infrastructure.

The City of Atlanta Water Infrastructure Enhancement Act, sponsored by senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in the U.S. Senate and Rep. Nikema Williams in the U.S. House, expands an existing authorization for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out water infrastructure projects in the city, including drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure projects, which would improve quality of life and strengthen resilience.

It will allow Congress to appropriate more funding for water infrastructure projects across the city.

“Clean, safe, healthy drinking water is not a luxury — it’s a necessity. For families, for seniors, and for businesses in the community, any interruption of safe drinking water is an emergency,” Ossoff said. “That’s why after disruptions in Atlanta, we passed this legislation into law to help upgrade Atlanta’s water infrastructure.”

Said Warnock: “Georgians across the state rely on safe, clean, and reliable water for drinking, maintaining homes and businesses, and more. But this is the type of work that goes largely unrecognized until disaster strikes, highlighting why it is so important to secure investments today that will protect Georgia’s water infrastructure tomorrow. This bipartisan legislation will help do just that, and I will continue championing federal investments that bolster Georgia’s economy and ecology.”