100K people, 2 dozen schools impacted by water main break in Fulton County

SOUTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — More than 20 Fulton County schools and 100,000 people are under a boil-water advisory after a water main break caused low water pressure Tuesday.

Officials issued the advisory for all residents and property owners in Chattahoochee Hills, the City of South Fulton, Union City and Fairburn on Monday after the main burst.

Crews fixed the 30-inch transmission pipe Tuesday night, more than 24 hours after the break. But officials said the boil water advisory could remain in effect for another 24 hours as crews test the water quality.

People are advised to boil their water or use bottled water until the advisory is lifted.

The water main break caused major hassles in southwest Atlanta, where Fairburn Road turned into a river on Monday, flooding cars.

"Some construction workers ran in and said whoever is parked closest to the shop can you all move your car," Armani Martin said. "We looked and the pipe burst and there was water flooding all the way through everybody’s car.”

Homes, businesses and schools were dealing with either no water or low water pressure and were under a boil-water advisory.

Channel 2's Audrey Washington was in South Fulton County, where students at one elementary school had to be bused to another school.

Students at Campbell Elementary were taken to Palmetto Elementary School because the faucets were dry.

"They told me that we can not drink the water and the bathrooms are closed," student Thomas Fitzgerald said.

Washington spoke to some parents, who were upset about all the confusion that ensued when their kids were taken to another school.

"You know there are other schools that are closer to the area, so we still don't know why they brought them all the way out here," Melvin Johnson said.

Johnson decided to pick up his twin nephews from Palmetto Elementary because of the water problems.

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Kimberly Knight drives a bus for Fulton County Schools and said the change definitely caused some problems.

"A lot of parents were called to let them know about the change and the decision was kind of made on a whim, so there's a lot of confusion," Knight said.

The school district did send out an email to Campbell Elementary School parents about moving students.

They also provided bottled water and hand sanitizer to students at the affected schools.

Officials said they are hoping the water is back to normal soon.

The 24 affected schools were: A. Philip Randolph School, Bethune Elementary, Campbell Elementary, Cliftondale Elementary, Evoline C. West Elementary, Feldwood Elementary, Gullatt Elementary, Heritage Elementary, Love T. Nolan Elementary, Oakley Elementary, Renaissance Elementary, Seaborn Lee Elementary, S.L. Lewis Elementary, Stonewall Tell Elementary, Wolf Creek Elementary, Bear Creek Middle School, Camp Creek Middle School, McNair Middle School, Renaissance Middle School, Sandtown Middle School, Banneker High, Creekside High, Langston Hughes High and Westlake High.

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