Precautionary Boil Water Advisory Issued for
the East
Bank of New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS – The Sewerage and Water Board of New
Orleans (S&WB) has issued a precautionary boil water advisory for the East
Bank of New Orleans, including New Orleans East and
the Lower Ninth Ward. Residents in the affected area are advised per
State Department of Health and Hospitals not to use
tap water to drink, make ice or brush
teeth until further notice. Residents in the affected area that are immune-compromised are advised not to wash hands, or shower
or bath. All other 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.
This morning, there was a power fluctuation at the Sewerage & Water Board
Carrollton Plant which caused a momentary drop in water pressure. Water
pressure has been restored, however it was confirmed that the pressure dropped
below the threshold of 15psi.
S&WB and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) officials
have begun testing water samples.
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 resident when the advisory
is lifted. If you have any questions, please call 52WATER (529-2837).
Boil water advisories are issued out of an abundance of
caution whenever the water pressure drops below 15psi. We agree with the
recommendations of our regulatory partner, the Department of Health and
Hospitals, 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 at http://new.dhh.louisiana.gov/assets/oph/Center-PHCH/Center-CH/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
Boil
Water Advisory Tips for Healthcare and Daycare Facilities
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