Water Flowing Again In Buckhead

Water is flowing again in Buckhead.

Repairs to a broken water main and a series of valves restored water service to Piedmont Hospital and the surrounding neighborhood early Thursday morning.

Atlanta city crews turned off the water to the area along Peachtree Road late Wednesday night, leaving the community high and dry.

Low water pressure had plagued Piedmont Hospital since Tuesday forcing the facility to cancel some surgeries and send Emergency Room patients to other facilities.

Officials originally said Piedmont Hospital would lose all water service during the repairs, but workers were able to hook the hospital up to another water main to keep some water flowing.

Next door to the hospital at the Shepherd Center officials used water from their pool to flush toilets on patient floors.

Only four bathrooms on each floor were open for patients at Piedmont Hospital during the day Wednesday. Dozens of Port-A-Potties were set up outside the hospital for visitors.

"Well there's no water. There's no ice. If you use the restroom you can't flush," said patient Frances Jensen.

The hospital had to bring in bottled water and hand sanitizers. The Atlanta Fire Department had to rig up hoses to keep the hospital's air conditioning units running.

Piedmont's Emergency Room was on diversionary measures and sent ER patients to other hospitals.

"We have had low water pressure and a hospital needs all the water pressure it can get," said hospital spokeswoman Diana Lewis.

Crews began repairing several valves near the hospital at 10 p.m. Wednesday. During that time water was off at addresses from 1690 to 2300 Peachtree Road.

In addition to Piedmont Hospital, that stretch of Peachtree also includes the Shepherd Center, office buildings, condos, plus a number of popular restaurants and bars.

City officials warned in a release that "Customers may want to fill their bathtubs in order to have water to flush toilets and have bottled water on hand for drinking and personal hygiene."