originally posted on June 24, 2016

UPDATE:

The boil water advisory issued on Friday, June 24, has been lifted.

COVINGTON, La.  — The entire city of Covington is under a boil water advisory. According to a release, the city has experienced problems with their water supply system.

The advisory is a precautionary measure.

On Thursday, a subcontractor performed a replacement of a section of water main as part of an ongoing project. The new section was isolated between two closed water valves.  All replacement work was completed yesterday afternoon, according to the release.

Per state requirements, any new section of water line is subject to testing for water quality.  Water quality testing for this pipe section was scheduled Friday morning.  Upon arrival to the site this morning, the City of Covington staff noted that the new line had already been pressurized as a result of a faulty water valve.

Although this section of line had been treated with chlorine the previous day, the testing had not been performed to verify acceptable water quality in the new line.

As a precautionary measure and in accordance with DHH requirements, the City of Covington is issuing a Boil Water Advisory for the entire city effective immediately until testing results verify that the water system quality is acceptable.

Please be assured that the City and DHH are working as quickly as possible to get test results.  All residents and businesses of Covington will be advised when the order is lifted.

A Boil Water Advisory is issued when an event has occurred allowing the possibility for the water distribution system to become contaminated. An advisory does not mean that the water is contaminated, but rather that it could be contaminated.  Until the safety of the water is confirmed, customers should take the appropriate precautions.

It is recommended that all citizens disinfect their water before consuming it (including fountain drinks), making ice, brushing teeth, or using it for food preparation or rinsing of foods by the following means:

Boil water for one (1) full minute in a clean container.  The one minute starts after the water has been brought to a rolling boil.  

*An Advisory is different from a Boil Water Notice. A Boil Water Notice is issued by the state health officer and the secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) or their authorized representatives. During a Boil Water Notice, all customers must boil their water before consuming it or use bottled water.  If you have any questions or concerns, please call 985-898-4700.