Precautionary Boil Water Advisory Issued for Limited Parts of New Orleans East
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, November 20, 2019 7:40 PM
NEW ORLEANS-The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) has issued a precautionary boil water advisory for a limited area of New Orleans East. Two small areas are affected:
- The area bounded by Little Woods from I-10 to Lake Pontchartrain and Read Boulevard to Paris Road
- The area bounded by Michoud Boulevard and Lake Forest Boulevard to 1-10 and the Maxent Canal
Click here to see a map of the affected area: https://www.swbno.org/News/BoilWater
Residents in the affected area are advised to use bottled or boiled tap water to drink, cook, clean food or brush teeth until further notice. Residents with compromised immune systems should also use safe water to wash hands, shower or bathe.
SWBNO, in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Health, issues boil water advisories out of an abundance of caution for areas where water pressure drops below 20 pounds per square inch (psi).
The cause of the boil water advisory is likely due to a ruptured water main but we are still actively investigating and will release any details with our next status update.
Customers in other areas of the city are not affected and do not need to boil their water.
We agree with the recommendations of LDH that it is prudent to issue these advisories out of an abundance of caution. The concern is that a pressure drop inside a water pipe could allow bacteriological contaminants to enter.
Healthy adults should take the following precautions:
Washing hands: Use soap and tap water, dry hands, then apply hand sanitizer; the safest option is to wash with bottled or boiled water.
Showering or bathing: Be careful not to swallow any water. Infants, young children and disabled persons should be supervised to ensure water is not ingested. Residents with open wounds, chronic illness or weakened immune systems should use boiled or bottled water to bathe until the advisory is lifted.
SWBNO will notify residents when the boil water advisory is canceled. If you have any questions, please call 52-WATER (504.529.2837).
INSTRUCTIONS FOR BOILING WATER
Bring water to a rolling boil in a clean container for a full minute. If the water has a flat taste afterward, shake it in a bottle or pour it from one container to another.
Please review general and LDH recommendations for managing a boil water advisory at http://ready.nola.gov/plan/boil-water/
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