Council members blast delays in boil water advisory alerts
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LaChandra Burks addresses the Atlanta City Council Utilities Committee on Tuesday. Screenshot: YouTube
Atlanta City Council members pressed Mayor Andre Dickens' administration for communication breakdowns during a boil water advisory issued over the Memorial Day weekend.
Why it matters: Amid the past week's rush-hour flood on the Downtown Connector and a mammoth fish kill on the Chattahoochee River, City Hall officials issued a boil water advisory that didn't land on the radar of many residents.
Zoom in: NotifyATL, the city's official notification system for emergency announcements and community events, has a 6% adoption rate, city officials said Tuesday at the council's Utilities Committee meeting.
Catch up quick: Department of Watershed Management Commissioner Greg Eyerly said an electrical issue caused two pumps to fail at the Hemphill Water Treatment Plant on Friday morning, leaving one pump in operation.
- Crews were unable to identify the affected areas before water pressure dropped to levels that required a boil water advisory under state regulations, Eyerly said.
Yes, but: Council members raised concerns about delays and difficulties in communicating the boil water advisory to the public.
- They also asked why the executive branch hasn't fixed the alert system since the citywide water crisis that occurred almost two years ago.
What they're saying: "If we can bill people for their water, why can't we notify them?" asked Council member Liliana Bakhtiari.
- "We can collect their money. Why can't we give them updates that can impact their lives for the better?"
The other side: Atlanta chief operating officer LaChandra Burks praised the city agencies' teamwork at the meeting that became heated.
- She said that committee members were stepping over a boundary by asking executive branch officials who should be responsible for emergency communications.
- The communications response was a collaborative effort, Burks said, and the city's Office of Emergency Preparedness operates NotifyATL.
- Efforts to determine which areas fell within the advisory zone caused a delay, she said.
What's next: Eyerly said the department will commission a third-party investigation into the Hemphill power failure, while administration officials said the city plans to review communication gaps.