DeKalb County's chief executive officer has called for a review of actions taken after power outages caused disruptions at a water treatment plant over the weekend. The study will focus on evaluating the backup power system at the Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant in Dunwoody, where a loss of water pressure caused by the outage led to a countywide boil water advisory.
“I am committed to making sure our infrastructure is protected and maintained in a manner that will ensure quality service to the citizens of DeKalb County,” CEO Michael Thurmond said in a news release.
Heavy thunderstorms caused the power outages at Scott Candler late Friday and early Saturday morning. Although backup generators kicked in within minutes, water pressure briefly dipped below recommended levels.
DeKalb began telling residents around 10 a.m. Saturday that they should boil water prior to consumption. The boil water advisory was lifted for everywhere but Dunwoody on Sunday night.
Read more | Boil water advisory affects Dunwoody for a third day
Dunwoody's boil water advisory wasn't cancelled until Monday afternoon, so restaurants and schools were forced to make adjustments for most of the day.
Some residents questioned why it took the county nearly 12 hours after the initial power outage to issue a boil water advisory. Others have asked whether the backup power at Scott Candler is outdated.
The news release said the review will include analysis of Department of Watershed Management protocols and the county’s procedures and training around power outages at its facilities. A final report will be shared with members of the DeKalb County commission and the public, although no timeline has been outlined.
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