NEW ORLEANS — A boil water advisory was lifted Saturday for parts of New Orleans East.
The advisory was first issued after a driver hit a fire hydrant Friday, causing water pressure to drop in part of New Orleans East.
The drop in water pressure happened in the area between Lake Pontchartrain and Morrison Road, from Weaver to Paris Avenue.
People using running water in that area should use bottled or boiled tap water to drink, cook, clean food or brush teeth until further notice, a release from the S&WB said Friday.
Residents with compromised immune systems should also use safe water to wash hands, shower or bathe.
The S&WB and the Louisiana Department of Health work together to issue boil water advisories out of caution whenever water pressure drops below 20 pounds per square inch.
Customers in other areas of the city are not affected and do not need to boil their water.
Agreeing with LDH recommendations, the S&WB agrees that issuing these advisories out of an abundance of caution is the right thing to do. The concern is that a pressure drop inside a water pipe could allow contamination.
To continue to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during a boil water advisory, the S&WB said residents should wash their hands often with boiled or bottled water.
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.
Residents will be notified when the advisory is lifted, the release said.
Residents with any questions can call 52-WATER (504.529.2837).
How to boil water during an advisory:
- 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.
For more recommendations for managing a boil water advisory visit the City of New Orleans plan here: http://ready.nola.gov/plan/boil-water/
