Atlanta Businesses Hit by Water Problems Eligible for $7.5M in Assistance

The Atlanta City Council voted to provide up to $7.5 million for small businesses that were affected by water outages due to a water main break near downtown late last month.

Georgia Public Broadcasting, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other news sites reported that the money will come from the Atlanta Recovery Fund and will help supplement lost revenue and pay employees for those businesses that were forced to close or curtail operations.

An estimated 7,000 businesses were affected by the May 31 boil water advisory and subsequent water main break in Midtown. Companies may apply for grants between June 24 and July 8. A firm’s business interruption insurance coverage could be a factor in deciding who gets grants.

The newspaper reported that to apply, businesses must provide a copy of their insurance policies, an impact statement, the business license, and a point-of-sale report from the week before the water main broke and then another from the week the water was off.

Photo: A broken water transmission line shown gushing on June 3. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)