Update regarding the Algiers Boil Water Advisory that occurred on July 25, 2026

At 5:02am on July 25, 2026, the pressure leaving the Algiers Water Plant dropped to below 20psi. Pressures were returned to normal by 5:20am.

• The immediate reports from the onsite staff indicated that the issue was due to the water tower on the Westbank being was out of service for planned maintenance. Upon further investigation, the tank was confirmed to be fully isolated from the system and could not have been the root cause of the issue. However, it being out of service meant that any disruption in water pressure could not be mitigated by sustained water pressure from the tower. During this time, the ground storage tanks at the Algiers Water Plant were being filled, so water pressure leaving the plant was also lower than normal. The water tower was returned to service later that morning, so there is currently no increased risk to water pressure on the Westbank at this time.
• There are two main ways that a pressure drop of this magnitude can occur, but we are challenged in having limited data to make a definitive conclusion. 
  • Interruption in pumping. The pumps were inspected and no mechanical or electrical concerns were found, and there is no evidence of a power issue. Additionally, there was no interruption in filling of the ground storage tanks at the time of the event. However, a pump issue cannot be definitively ruled out due to the limited information available from the individual pumps. Some pumps have electronical data sensors, but these sensors do not save historical data, while other pumps do not have electronic sensors at all. Therefore we are unable to view a history of the pump operation to confirm that there was no pumping interruption.
  • A major increase in demand, like a water main break or a valve being opened. We have no evidence of a water main break or a fire hydrant being operated; however, we do see an increase in flow rate being pumped out right after the pressure dropped, which is what we see when there is a major water main break. However, the flow measurements are not as accurate when the ground storage tanks are being filled.
• Situations like these highlight the need to continue to invest in technology modernization, so that we have the necessary data to fully investigate incidents that cause disruption in our service, so that we can make the necessary corrections. To that end, we are reviewing existing sensors on the equipment determine what data can be recorded automatically and stored for future review, and what additional equipment may be needed to do so.