Press Releases

NEW ORLEANS- The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (S&WB) has issued a scheduled precautionary boil water advisory for Venetian Isles of New Orleans to make critical repairs to hydrants.

The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (S&WB) will replace three (3) leaking hydrants Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018 along a water main on Chef Menteur Highway that serves all customers east of Industrial Parkway, including Textron and all of Venetian Isles. 

Residents in that area may be without water for the duration of the repairs. Once repairs are complete and water service is restored, subsequent flushing and water quality testing will require residents to continue to boil their water before use until water quality tests have confirmed it’s safe for consumption.

Combining the repairs of several hydrants will reduce the impact of such repairs and the potential of future boil water advisories for that area.

Residents in the affected area are advised per Louisiana Department of Health not to drink, make ice or brush teeth without boiling water first until water quality testing confirms the water is safe for potable use.

Residents with compromised immune systems are advised not to wash hands, shower or bathe with water flowing through faucets or showerheads. All residents are advised to take precautions for the below hygiene actions:

-         Washing hands:  Use soap and tap water, dry hands then apply hand sanitizer; the safest option is to wash with safe water.

-         Shower or bath:  Being careful not to swallow any water, one may take a shower safely.  Using caution when bathing infants and young children so that no water is swallowed is considered fairly safe.  A sponge bath reduces the chance of swallowing water.  The time spent bathing should be minimized.  Children and disabled individuals should have their bath supervised to ensure water is not ingested.  Though the risk of illness is minimal, individuals who have recent surgical wounds, are immunosuppressed, or have a chronic illness may want to consider using bottled or boiled water for cleansing until the advisory is lifted.  For those who want to be absolutely safe, use safe water until further notice per the Louisiana Office of Public Health – Infectious Disease Epidemiology Section.”

Customers in other areas of the city are not affected and do not need to boil their water.

The boil water advisory will remain in effect until further notice for customers in the affected area.  S&WB will notify residents when the advisory is lifted.  If you have any questions, please call 52-WATER (529-2837).

Boil water advisories are issued out of an abundance of caution whenever the water pressure drops below 15 psi.  We agree with the recommendations of our regulatory partner, the Department of Health that it is prudent to issue these advisories out of an abundance of caution.  The concern is that a pressure drop inside of the water pipe could allow an opportunity for contaminants into the pipe.  Chlorine is a chemical that is added to water to combat contamination.  The Sewerage and Water Board staff maintains a high chlorine residual and we aggressively and continually monitor our chlorine residual to ensure that our potable water has the ability to fight off bacteriological growth.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR BOILING WATER

Boil water for one full minute in a clean container.  The one-minute boil time begins after the water has been brought to a rolling boil.  (If there is a flat taste, it can be eliminated by shaking the water in a bottle or pouring it from one container to another.)

Please review and follow the Louisiana Office of Public Health’s recommendations for Boil-Water Advisories listed on our website at http://new.dhh.louisiana.gov/assets/oph/Center-PHCH/infectious-epi/EpiManual/BoilWaterAdvisory.pdf. or www.swbno.org to ensure that all tap water is properly disinfected before use.

What to do during a Boil Water Advisory http://www.nola.gov/getattachment/Mayor/Press-Releases/2015/20150724-Boil-Water-Advisor/Boil -Water-Factsheet-General-Public-V6-0.pdf/

Boil Water Advisory Tips for Healthcare and Daycare Facilities http://www.nola.gov/getattachment/Mayor/Press-Releases/2015/20150724-Boil-Water-Advisory/Boil-Water-Factsheet-Healthcare-and-Daycare-Facilities-V3-0-(1)-(2).pdf

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Members of the Board:  ANDREW AMACKER · ROBIN BARNES · LATOYA CANTRELL · DR. TAMIKA DUPLESSIS · EILEEN GLEASON  · RALPH W. JOHNSON · STACY HORN KOCH · JOSEPH PEYCHAUD · LEWIS STIRLING, III · LYNES R “POCO” SLOSS

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