Advisory Update: Boil water advisory cancelled for Orleans Parish

Tuesday, Oct. 9. – 2:36pm – Update – BOIL WATER ADVISORY CANCELLED FOR EASTBANK OF ORLEANS PARISH

The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, in conjunction with the State Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) has cancelled the boil water advisory for residents and businesses on the eastbank of Orleans Parish.

The advisory is cancelled because bacteriological tests confirmed that water in the city is safe to drink and can be used as normal for personal needs.

With the advisory cancelled, residents and businesses are advised to flush their internal and external plumbing by running water through their systems for several minutes.

The original advisory was issued Monday when water pressure levels dropped because of an equipment malfunction at the power plant.

SWB Executive Director, Marcia St. Martin said, “we are pleased that the test proved negative and that we can cancel the boil water advisory at this time. We issued the advisory in the best interests of our customers and with an abundance of caution to ensure their health and safety.

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10/08/2012 Alert

New Orleans, LA – Sewerage and Water Board and the state Department of Health and Hospital officials are warning the residents of the East Bank of Orleans Parish not to drink, make ice from, brush teeth, bathe or shower, prepare or rinse food with tap water unless it has been properly disinfected until further notice.

A momentary loss of 25-cycle power at about 8:30 a.m. at the main water plant brought water pressure to low levels throughout the eastbank of the city. Out of an abundance of caution, residents are advised that the quality of the water may be unsafe due to bacteriological contamination. Therefore, the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans in conjunction with DHH has issued a BOIL WATER ADVISORY effective Monday, October 8, 2012 for the entire east bank of the City of New Orleans. Residents may expect the boil advisory to continue until water quality testing has proven the safety of the water. This does not affect Algiers.

State officials are cautioning users of the water system to disinfect their water before consuming it or using it for food preparation by the following means:

Boil water for one full minute in a clean container. The one-minute starts 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.

This boil water advisory will remain in effect until further notice.