Federal lawmakers are actively working to secure federal funding to repair the City of Atlanta’s aging water system, less than two weeks after a series of water main breaks put thousands under a boil water advisory.
Atlanta’s sewage and water system is in dire need of repairs that could cost billions of dollars, and Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, along with Rep. Nikema Williams, are working diligently to secure funding for the city.
Lawmakers have revealed that the funds for this initiative would be sourced from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) that was passed in 2022.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms wrote a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, urging for a strong collaboration between the city and USACE to tackle the pressing and persistent issues of water infrastructure. Mayor Bottoms emphasized the need for immediate action following a series of devastating water main breaks in Atlanta.
In his request, Williams suggested that the Corps of Engineers could use funding from the Environmental Infrastructure Authority of the City of Atlanta to make water infrastructure improvements, including replacing the failing and old water mains that caused the recent crisis.
Georgia’s U.S. Senators, who have co-signed the letter, agree with the sentiment that the water main breaks had a significant impact on the city for nearly a week. They emphasize the need for funding to address the chronic infrastructure problems and conduct a comprehensive review. They highlight that the state of Georgia has already received $570 million in federal investments for drinking water and clean water projects from the BIL.
Lawmakers have written to the Corps, urging them to provide the funding needed for the City of Atlanta to conduct a thorough review of its drinking water infrastructure. This move is seen as the first step towards developing solutions to improve drinking water service and infrastructure reliability. The letter also requests that the Corps waive the collection of local fees as authorized by Section 8119 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022, given that the water main break and subsequent boil water advisories have impacted several economically disadvantaged communities.
According to Atlanta officials, the cost for the necessary work is estimated to be at least $1 billion, which is a significant amount. This is not just a simple talking point, as the city will be requesting this amount from the federal government to ensure that the work is completed successfully.
After the repairs were completed on June 5, Atlanta’s Mayor, Andre Dickens, took the opportunity to address the recent water main break and its resulting issues. In his briefing, he outlined the city’s next steps moving forward.
Dickens stated that he plans to request a significant increase in funding from the federal government to address the issues at hand. He aims to set an example by solving all the challenges and acknowledges that it will require a substantial investment in the billions, rather than a small sum of money.
According to a report from Channel 2 Action News, Dickens acknowledged the work crews who worked tirelessly to repair the damage caused by the water crisis, while also admitting that the city could have handled the situation better.
Dickens stated that although they are frustrated, they also comprehend the situation. They have a proactive plan to move in the right direction and replace the outdated or damaged infrastructure.
