A boil water advisory is in effect in parts of New Orleans after the storm. In the days following the storm, residents near the Paris Road, Vanderkloot Avenue, Morrison Road, and Haynes Boulevard areas are encouraged to follow some precautionary measures. Residents should wash their hands with soap or hand sanitizer frequently. For showering or bathing, residents should use bottled water or boiled water. Anyone with an open wound or weakened immune system should also use bottled water.
The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans issued a precautionary boil-water advisory. The advisory is only for a small area bordered by Vanderkloot Avenue and Morrison Boulevard. Residents are encouraged to flush their plumbing systems and use bottled water to drink and make ice. The city is working to restore the pressure in affected areas.
If you are not able to boil water for your bath or shower, you can use tap water to wash your hands. If you don’t have soap, you can wash your hands vigorously for 20 seconds, then rinse them under running water. An alcohol-based hand soap that contains at least 60% alcohol can be used.
During the boil water advisory, residents should drink bottled water or boiled tap water. This is especially important for those who are susceptible to illness and don’t want to get sick. The Louisiana Department of Health and the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO), coordinate the advisory to ensure residents have safe drinking water.
If you are a college student, you can check with your school or the Emergency Communications system to receive notifications about the boil water advisory. For general safety tips, you can also visit the NOLA Ready website. The university community will receive notifications on their Loyno Alert system if the advisory is in effect.
Despite the fact that there are many boil water notices in New Orleans, they are not uncommon. Madison Parish had the highest number of notices per capita than any other parish in Louisiana. Its residents were notified for over two months. The LDH issued two administrative orders against Tallulah for failing to keep water treatment facilities up to code and having no certified water operator on shift. Tallulah owed $689850 to the LDH as of April. Its fines are growing by the day.