Boil Water Advisory Issued In South Fulton Cities, Canton

Hundreds of thousands of residents and business owners across south Fulton County are waking up to a massive water emergency today. The City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management (DWM) issued a widespread precautionary boil water advisory late yesterday, October 11, 2026, following a major disruption at a primary treatment facility.

A separate boil water advisory was issued for the City of Canton Monday morning.

Note: The City of East Point has not issued a boil water advisory as of this morning.

The advisory was triggered by a sudden water supply interruption at the Chattahoochee Water Treatment Plant, which sent water pressures plummeting across the southern half of the metropolitan system.

Widespread Impact Reported

Local authorities confirmed the advisory blankets several municipalities that rely on the system. Residents experiencing low water pressure or total service outages in the following areas are urged to comply immediately:

• City of South Fulton
• Fairburn
• Union City
• Palmetto
• Southwest Atlanta

Local code enforcement and emergency management teams spent the night coordinating with businesses—particularly restaurants and food service providers—many of which have been forced to alter operations or temporarily close due to the lack of pressurized, safe tap water.

Critical Safety Guidelines for Residents

Public health officials stress that tap water in the affected zones should not be consumed or used directly from the faucet. The DWM has released the following safety mandates:

Boil Water Thoroughly: All tap water intended for consumption must be brought to a vigorous, rolling boil for at least one full minute before cooling.

Restricted Direct Uses: Unboiled tap water must not be used for drinking, cooking, food preparation, washing dishes, brushing teeth, making ice, or mixing infant formula.

Pet Safety: Officials remind residents to only give boiled or bottled water to household pets.

Vulnerable Populations: Infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals are urged to exercise extreme caution and rely on bottled water if available.

Infrastructure Repair Status

DWM crews and emergency contractors remain on-site at the treatment plant, working to resolve the mechanical or structural failure that caused the supply drop. Field technicians are also deployed throughout the county to monitor system pressure levels and flush the water mains.

Around 9 a.m., the department released a statement indicating that repairs to a water main break near the Chattahoochee facility were completed but the boil water advisory will remain in place until DWM is cleared to lift it through sampling protocols.

“To protect the public from a potential health hazard, all residents and property owners who have experienced water outages and/or low water pressure are advised to boil all water before use or use bottled water for drinking, cooking, preparing baby food, or brushing teeth. The water should be boiled for one minute past a rolling boil. Infants, the elderly, and those with immune deficiencies should be cautious. Also, do not drink water from public water fountains in the impacted area,” the release said.

By state law, the advisory cannot be lifted until water pressures stabilize and consecutive rounds of microbiological testing prove the water is entirely free of harmful bacteria. Officials have not yet provided a definitive timeline for when the system will be cleared.

Residents seeking the latest geographic maps of the outage zones can check the City of South Fulton’s emergency alert portal or monitor the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management’s official social media and website for real-time tracking.