Water Outage Hits Phipps Plaza, 2,000 Residents

ATLANTA, GA — Part of Phipps Plaza and about 2,000 residents in the Buckhead area were without water Thursday morning after a nearby water main break.

The break happened in the 700 block of Longleaf Drive in Buckhead, according to Atlanta Department of Watershed Management. On Thursday afternoon, Belk was reportedly the only retailer impacted and other stores and restaurants at Phipps were operating normally.

Repairs to the 16-inch water main also caused lanes to be closed on Phipps Boulevard, between Lenox Road and Longleaf Drive, the department announced Thursday morning.

"In an abundance of caution, sand and salt have been distributed over the icy area, but motorists are urged to use caution and to avoid the area if possible," the department said in a written statement.

The water main broke late Wednesday night, according to the department. The outage also has impacted seven fire hydrants.

The water department said the leak was caused by a failed hydrant near a new development. Repairs were expected to be completed by Thursday afternoon, barring unforeseen complications, and water had been redistributed to a senior-living facility and condominiums in the area.

Located off of Ga. 400, Phipps Plaza is one of Georgia's most popular shopping malls, with more than 100 stores, a 14-screen AMC movie theater and the LEGOLAND Discovery Center.

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