BROOKHAVEN, Ga. — Water is now flowing again after a big water main break in DeKalb County that began Monday night.
Crews finished repairing the broken water main on Clairmont Road on Thursday afternoon. The break put 20,000 residents nearby under a boil water advisory, which remains in effect until further testing is done.
During repairs, multiple roads were closed as well. All lanes of Clairmont Road reopened Friday morning.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
As crews worked, business owners and residents said they were concerned about how the break would impact a busy part of Clairmont Road in Brookhaven.
County officials told Channel 2′s Michael Doudna that the repair took longer than they’d estimated, but was back to normal just after 2 p.m. Now, crews are working to fill in the holes made after the water main break.
As previously reported, the 30-inch water main was first installed in 1941. Repairing the water main was complicated.
“It is not a science, it is an art,” DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said.
TRENDING STORIES:
- GA State Sen. Colton Moore charged with obstructing law enforcement officers
- Street racers hit 3 people while doing stunts in the snow and ice near Southlake Mall
- Rudy Giuliani won’t have to surrender homes, World Series rings to Fulton election workers
Local businesses remained strained by the ongoing water outage, telling Channel 2 Action News that each day without water had an effect on their operations.
“We are a small business, and every day makes a big difference,” Amon-Ra Shabazz, an emissions worker, said. “It slows down the entire area and it’s a setback for everyone, in every sort of way.”
Cochran-Johnson said the expected time to complete repairs was an estimate, and that since the repairs were more complicated than originally expected, it forced a delay.
”When people give you an estimate, that’s what it is. That’s what it is based on optimal circumstances,” Cochran-Johnson said. “Oftentimes, when you deal with nature, there can be unforeseen circumstances. And when you start a job of this magnitude, whatever you find, you must deal with in real-time.”
For now, the new DeKalb County CEO, who took office in January, said she was happy the problem was resolved, but said it was an example of aging infrastructure that must be replaced, before the next pipe breaks.
It’s a project county officials have working toward for a while, including her predecessor, Michael Thurmond.
“We have reached a critical state because many of our water pipes and main should have been replaced long ago,” Cochran-Johnson said.
The boil water advisory is still in effect. Sediment got into the water system, so county officials are asking residents and businesses to run their water and make sure it’s clear before using it or drinking it.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
