The Decatur Minute

There is a winter weather warning for metro Atlanta from 10 a.m. today until 10 a.m. tomorrow (Thursday). It is expected to start raining and sleeting and then turn to snow. The precipitation is expected to stick and Decatur could see up to 3.5” of snow by morning. By 11 a.m. Thursday the temperature is expected to rise into the 40s.

All city buildings are currently open and will close by 5 p.m. today, including City Hall and the Decatur Recreation Center. All evening activities and classes at the Decatur Recreation Center are CANCELLED for tonight.

Georgia DOT asks motorists to limit driving to emergencies or essential travel only. Be aware of black ice. If you do decide to leave your house, especially once temperatures drop below freezing after dark, there is likely to be ice on the roads and sidewalks.

City Schools of Decatur are closed today. CSD will post its decision regarding school tomorrow on its website.

As of this posting tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 26:

• All city of Decatur offices and buildings will have a delayed opening of 10 a.m. This includes City Hall, Design Environment & Construction and the Decatur Recreation Center.
• Thursday trash and recycling pick up is expected to take place as usual
• Municipal Court will occur as scheduled at 6 p.m.

Important phone numbers

• If you see hazardous or unsafe conditions in Decatur, or require assistance from police or fire, please call the police non-emergency number: 404-373-6551.
• Report icy conditions on interstates and state routes to GDOT: 511.
• Power outages or trees on power lines should be reported directly to Georgia Power: 1-888-891-0938.

Prevent burst pipes
As the temperatures drop, pipes in your home or business are likely to freeze unless you take necessary precautions. The easiest way to prevent burst pipes is to leave your sink running with a small stream of water (a drip is not enough) before you go to bed.

Reminders

• Be neighborly and take a few minutes to check on the seniors in your neighborhood. See if you can bring in their mail or wood or something else they may need, and make sure they have plenty of heat, food and water. Sometimes simply being checked on is greatly appreciated when staying indoors gets to be lonely. If you have a neighbor who needs help please call the police non-emergency number at 404-373-6551.
• Bring all pets inside.
• Register for Smart911 now at Smart911.com. You can opt-in for severe weather and other notifications as well as create or update your Smart911 profile with any special medical concerns (such as a household member who uses medical equipment that requires electricity).
• Charge all cell phones and put fresh batteries in emergency radios. When contacting loved ones, a text message is more likely to get through than a phone call.
• Download the FEMA smartphone app for additional tips and emergency information.

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UPDATE from DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management, 2:47 p.m.:

At this time we have achieved the needed isolation of the large line and are making the final repair on it. The main system has been pressured back up to meet the needs of our public and should not pose an issue during the repair. We should be back to normal within 48 hours once the repair is completed, we have made sure the water quality is acceptable in that line and place the line back in service.

Thank you for your patience on this.

Many thanks to our field crews and plant staff for the long hours and diligence in helping to minimize the issue and sticking with it in the weather.

UPDATE from DeKalb County, 1:01 PM: 36-inch line issue on Park Hill Drive near Glenwood

Event Summary:

On January 13 early in the morning we had an issue develop on Park Lane with our 36 inch transmission line. Our crews began isolating the line for repairs and stabilized the site in preparation for work to commence when the line drained. The area was isolated without incident and the work process was ongoing. No pressure our outages were reported after isolation.

At some point in the late evening January 14, an issue developed with a valve that caused the leak area to pressurize and subsequently start flowing again. This leak started affecting the tank volumes in the area and also the system pressure. Our crews again went into the system and checked the valves to try and determine where the issue was. During this time we also isolated some storage tanks in the system and monitored the plant pressure to assure we had water.

Our dispatch office sent out the notices of the water issues at 11:07 AM Tuesday and again on Wednesday at 12:44 PM.

About 9:30 we found the valve issue and affected a repair on the valve which seems to have brought the issue under control. Pressure is building back in the system now and our crews are preparing to make the repair on the line which should be completed within 24 hours. At that point we will start bringing all of the system back up to normal.

The line in question is a 48-36-24 inch main transmission line originating in Scottdale/Clarkston and going south of I-20. The pipe has been identified as having manufacturing defects and was part of a national legal action. DeKalb County identified this pipe as having issues that fit the criteria of the identified defect and subsequently put the replacement in the Capital Improvement Program (Item 26) to secure a design and bid for the replacement of the line. Due to the size of the line, a majority of it being in main roadways and its length the process takes several years to complete.

UPDATE FROM DEKALB COUNTY 11:30AM: DeKalb County crews are on the scene of a water main break on Parkhill Drive in Decatur which is causing low water pressure in many areas throughout DeKalb County including Atlanta, Avondale, Clarkston, Decatur, & Scottdale.  This is a 36” pre-stressed concrete pipe which is over 40 years old.  This is a project that is scheduled under the County’s $1.35 billion CIP plans.  We are expecting repairs to take up to two days to complete.  During this time customer may experience drops in water pressure.  There are no boil water advisories at this time.  We will be providing updated to the news media, the county website and Twitter/social media as the work progresses.

UPDATE 10:54 a.m.: At this time the County estimates it will take until at least 1pm to get the system isolated and stabilized to permit an improvement in pressure.

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There has been a break in a 36 inch water main at South Columbia and Parkhill Drive. While the break is outside of the city, parts of the City of Decatur and Avondale Estates may be experiencing low water pressure.

We do not have an estimated timeline for repair, but will continue to post updates as they are available.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Casie Yoder, casie.yoder@decaturga.com, 404-371-8386.

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It’s going to get really cold the next couple of days, so just a reminder to keep pets inside (especially at night), check on any vulnerable neighbors to make sure they have heat, and wear lots of layers (long underwear, hats, scarves, gloves/mittens, heavy coats, etc.) when you go out and about. Please check on your senior neighbors, since they might not ask you for help otherwise. If they don’t have heat, ask them to call a relative or, if possible, invite them to your home. They might also be able to get assistance from the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project, if there is a problem with their furnace. Contact Lee Ann Harvey, Lifelong Community Coordinator, at leeann.harvey@decaturga.com or 770-652-8593 and she can make arrangements to help them. Thank you for being good neighbors.

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