Once again, residents across a swath of New Orleans were told to avoid drinking water from their taps after pressure dropped in the 9th Ward while Sewerage & Water Board workers were testing a valve Monday morning.
The affected area included portions of the St. Claude, Bywater, Florida and Desire neighborhoods but not New Orleans East.
Residents have long grown weary of the pressure drops and accompanying warnings that have plagued the S&WB’s water system, leading to 16 advisories covering all or parts of the city since 2012.
It typically takes about 24 hours for officials to conduct the tests needed to verify that the water supply remains uncontaminated.
The warning on Monday came while crews were testing valves related to work being done on the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project on Florida Avenue, part of a massive regional drainage project overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, S&WB spokesman Curtis Elmore said.
During the test, pressure dropped unexpectedly, he said.
Under the previous standard, which only called for an advisory when pressure fell below 15 psi, a boil-water advisory would not have been required Monday.
Councilman Jay H. Banks, who was appointed to the S&WB at the end of last year, said he understood residents’ frustrations with the advisories.
More of our tourism taxes get diverted away from city services than (in) any other destination city in the United States,” the email stated before encouraging readers to contact their legislators in support of Cantrell’s infrastructure plan.
During a boil-water advisory, healthy adults should avoid drinking tap water that has not been brought to a boil for a full minute, though they can continue to bathe or shower as long as they don’t ingest any water.