DeKalb neighbors faced another weekend without running water
DeKalb crews repair recurring water pipe break
DeKalb County residents faced their second water main break in less than seven days near Ottawa Trail and Rock Springs Road.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A recurring water main break near Ottawa Trail and Rock Springs Road left south DeKalb County neighbors without service overnight before county crews finished repairs Sunday afternoon.
What we know:
The infrastructure failure marked the second major break at the exact location in less than a week, leaving residents questioning local response times.
DeKalb County officials confirmed repair crews fixed the break at approximately 3:15 p.m. Sunday.
County workers previously repaired an earlier break at the same spot around 5 p.m. Thursday after water initially went out Wednesday morning.
County officials warn that neighbors in the affected area may notice discolored tap water as pressure returns.
Leaders recommend running household faucets for a short time before drinking, cooking or using the water.
What they're saying:
Jasmine Mapps, who lives nearby, watched neighbors wait in line Sunday afternoon to pick up cases of bottled water handed out by county crews.
Mapps said she worries local leaders fail to treat the recurring breaks with enough urgency.
"The water went out again as of last night, which was Saturday night. The crew didn't come out until this morning. They didn't start working until 10 o'clock this morning. That was a full 12 hours before someone actually came out to help us," Mapps said.
Water disruptions have become an ongoing ordeal for families living in the neighborhood.
One resident reported losing tap water at least four other times during the past summer because of local breaks.
What we don't know:
Officials have not publicly explained what caused the pipe at Ottawa Trail and Rock Springs Road to burst multiple times in rapid succession.
County leaders also have not announced long-term plans to prevent future water disruptions across south DeKalb County.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from DeKalb County officials, who detailed repair schedules and public safety guidance, as well as area resident Jasmine Mapps and neighbors interviewed on the scene.