Grant Park residents frustrated over city's response to water leak

Repairs have stopped a water leak in a Grant Park neighborhood that residents say had been gushing from underneath the sidewalk since Tuesday.

Crews with Atlanta Watershed Management were busy at work until nearly 11 p.m. on Wednesday trying to remedy the leak that's caused a steady stream of water to pour onto the street here on Vernon Avenue over the last 36 hours.

Residents say getting this crew here wasn't easy.

Speaking to FOX 5's Joi Dukes, residents said they noticed water flowing from this part of the street early Tuesday morning and immediately contacted the city.

They say after multiple calls explaining the scenario that appeared to be worsening, they were told it would fall under scheduled repairs and that someone would be there in the next 45 days to look at it.

Homeowner Aaron Chethalan said seeing the water flowing faster as time passed made him concerned for his neighbors and frustrated over what he felt was a lack of urgency.

"We have a neighborhood full of kids - young kids, adults, older-aged adults - it creates flowing water like this. At this speed, it creates a real issue and concern for people's safety," Chethalan said. "We call on resources of the city to help us when we need help, and it can't be that we have to utilize outsources like this just to be able to get help ... that's a problem."

In response to a request for comment on the issue, Atlanta Watershed Management officials told FOX 5 that during the initial investigation, they identified this issue as a tailpiece leak. That's commonly categorized as a scheduled repair. After further inspection and a call from FOX 5, they determined that it needed immediate attention and that it would qualify as an emergency repair.

After more than 36 hours of waiting, the leak had been fixed.