'Do not consume' water advisory lifted for Griffin-Spalding County

GRIFFIN, Ga. - City officials lifted a "do not consume" water advisory late Friday night after test results confirmed the local water supply is safe following a spill at the airport earlier in the day.

Water advisory lifted in Griffin

What we know:

The announcement came shortly after 10 p.m. when the Georgia Environmental Protection Agency (EPD) cleared the city to end the precautionary measure.

"They have said that the test results that they have back have cleared us from that," a city official said in an evening update from City Hall. "And so we were able to go ahead and lift that advisory, which is wonderful news."

‘Do not consume’ water advisory

The backstory:

The advisory was issued as a precaution following a spill at the airport. In response, the water and wastewater department shut down pumps from the Flint River to prevent potential contamination.

The city issued a "Do Not Consume" water advisory early Friday evening after a fuel spill near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport reached the Flint River, potentially threatening the local water supply.

Earlier in the day, residents were advised not to drink, cook with, or brush their teeth using tap water. Authorities had warned that boiling the water would not make it safe

The city was notified earlier Friday of the spill. While initial reports indicated the fuel had not reached the area of Griffin’s water intakes, the city shut down all Flint River intakes "out of an abundance of caution."

While the river pumps were offline, the city utilized the Brandy Keller Reservoir and Has Creek Reservoir to maintain service. Officials noted that the Harry Simmons Water Treatment Plant will take approximately 12 hours to become fully operational again, but the city’s redundant systems will ensure a continuous water supply.

To manage the crisis, emergency declarations were issued at the local, county, and state levels.

"A big thank you to the local delegation for having the governor issue state of emergency so quickly for us and Spalding County," the official said.

Spalding County Jail water outage

Local perspective:

Inmates at the Spalding County Jail were without showers on Friday night and meals will shift to sandwiches as the facility grapples with sudden community-wide water restrictions.

The sheriff’s office should be able to resume showers Saturday. All meals were being replaced with sandwiches served on disposable plates with plastic utensils to eliminate the need for dishwashing.

Sheriff Darrell Dix announced Friday that the jail is implementing "outside the box solutions" to sustain its population of approximately 540 inmates and its detention staff .

The facility has secured pallets of bottled water for drinking.

To maintain kitchen operations, the Sheriff’s Office partnered with Norwesco on Gate Ridge Drive in Griffin to acquire water tanks capable of holding 1,100 gallons. Because of local restrictions, staff members are transporting these containers out of the county to be filled.

The jail is not the only critical infrastructure facing these challenges. Dix noted that other local facilities, including the hospital and area nursing homes, are currently working through similar water provision issues.

‘This is not a hoax’

What they're saying:

Officials say they were not able to put anything out faster than they could, and it was quick. Throughout the day, local leaders emphasized their commitment to safety while awaiting the results that eventually cleared the supply.

An Atlanta airport spokesperson issued the following statement:

"Hartsfield-Jackson is actively responding to a fuel spill on the airfield. Response and cleanup efforts are underway, and environmental teams are on scene working with airport partners, the appropriate external agencies and neighboring jurisdictions to manage the situation. The Airport will continue to monitor conditions closely and share additional information as it becomes available."

Other areas of concern

Big picture view:

The Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA) confirmed that while a fuel spill near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has reached the Flint River, testing shows no traces of fuel in Clayton’s production facilities.

"We want to assure our customers that CCWA’s drinking water system has not been affected," said Erin Thomas, CCWA communications and community relations director. "CCWA has tested water samples and reviewed operational and water quality reports, confirming that our drinking water remains safe and meets or exceeds all state and federal regulatory standards."

"Out of an abundance of caution, CCWA continues to maintain active communication with state and local agencies and will closely monitor conditions," Thomas said.

Fayetteville also said it is monitoring, but has not been made aware of any issues.

The Fayette County manager told FOX 5 that water plant employees, anticipating that deicing runoff might enter the Flint River, switched off their pumping stations ahead of last week’s winter storm.

Spalding County shifts focus to winter storm

What's next:

While the water crisis has been resolved, residents may still need the bottled water they purchased today. The region remains under a winter weather advisory, with officials shifting their focus from water safety to incoming winter conditions.

"I hate that it was sort of a mad rush for bottled water," the official noted. "And unfortunately we might be able to use that tomorrow because we are still under a winter weather advisory in our area."

Moving forward, the city plans to work with partners on continued testing and preventive measures for the Flint River.

Reporting on water in Griffin

What you can do:

The city requested that customers report any unusual taste or odor issues to the Water and Wastewater Department at 770-229-6423. After-hours reports can be made at 770-229-6406 by pressing 6.

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