Part of Uptown New Orleans advised to boil water

A busted pipe early this morning sent water gushing into the street at Claiborne Avenue near Soniat Street.

"The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) has issued a precautionary boil water advisory for a limited area in uptown New Orleans bounded by S. Carrollton Avenue to Napoleon Avenue and from S. Claiborne Avenue to the Mississippi River," according to a news release.

Water pressure in the affected area dropped below the 20 pounds per square inch threshold for safety as a result of the water main break.

"SWBNO has crews are working to isolate the leak and make repairs."

#BREAKING: Streets remain flooded in the Uptown part of #NewOrleans due to a water main break on the corner of Soniat and South Claiborne Ave. #BeOn4 @WWLTV pic.twitter.com/ToIfixV36k

The following schools are closed:

• De La Salle High School
• New Orleans Science and Math High School
• Lusher Charter High/ Freret Street Campus
• Lusher Middle School / Freret Street Campus
• Audubon Broadway Campus (at Milan) is closed for all grades pre-kindergarten to eighth grade Friday. 
• Isidore Newman School
• St. Katharine Drexel Preparatory School
• Benjamin Franklin Elementary Mathematics and Science School seventh and eighth-grade students do not need to report to school Friday. All sixth-grade students must report to the school's Lakefront Campus for standardized testing.

In the meantime, officials say don't drink the water.

"Residents in the affected area are advised per Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) not to drink, make ice or brush teeth, until further notice.  Residents in the affected area that are immunocompromised are advised not to wash hands, or shower or bath."

The release say 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 LDH – Infectious Disease Epidemiology Section.”

If you do not live between S. Claiborne and the river and between S. Carrollton Avenue to Napoleon Avenue, you are not under the boil advisory. 

"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.  SWBNO will notify residents when the advisory is lifted. If you have any questions, please call 52-WATER (529-2837)."

 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 recommendations for Boil Water Advisories listed here: https://ready.nola.gov/plan/boil-water/