The area under the boil water advisory Uptown has been expanded multiple blocks after crews working to fix a burst pipe found a broken valve as well, officials say.
The areas under the boil water advisory originally included:
Properties along Calhoun and Palmer Avenue between South Claiborne Avenue and Story Street, including the dead-end blocks of South Johnson, South Prieur and Barret Street. Also, properties between South Claiborne, Audubon Boulevard, Hickory and Lowerline streets.
It now includes:
All properties between South Claiborne Avenue, Hickory Street, South Carrollton Avenue and both sides of Audubon Boulevard.
Sewerage and Water Board officials said crews working to fix a massive 100-year-old water main that ruptured near Tulane University Friday afternoon found a broken water valve on Audubon Street.
That forced them to close more valves to stop the flow of water to the break which dropped water pressure outside the original boil advisory area and required the zone be expanded.
"It is important to note that the boundaries are approximations. If you experience little or no water pressure and live near the impacted zone, please take extra precautions when using your water," a S&WB spokesperson said.
Residents in the roughly 30 blocks under a boil water advisory in Uptown woke up Saturday morning to no running water in their homes, with no prior notice ahead of the outage.
Residents in the area had been without water since 3 o'clock Friday afternoon, as Sewerage and Water Board crews tried to fix a massive 100-year-old water main that ruptured near Tulane University's Yulman Stadium. Rushing water from the broken 30-inch water main flooded the area Friday and caused water pressure to drop.
Residents in the area said that they had lost all water pressure around 6:30 Friday night, and did not have running water in their homes.
"A boil water advisory notice does no good if there isn't water to boil or flush my toilet with," said one resident.
Despite being next to the burst water main that caused the flooding, Tulane University and Yulman Stadium were not included in the advisory.
The water will be sent to the state health department and tested, which typically takes 24 hours to clear following the advisory.
The break near South Johnson and Calhoun streets caused water to flood the area, turning nearby streets into rivers, including South Claiborne Avenue and flooding some cars. Large chunks of debris could also be seen in the roadways.
A driver first reported the leak as early as 2 a.m.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who serves as the president of the water board, said the broken pipe is another example of the state of aging infrastructure in New Orleans.
"We have not consistently maintained our infrastructure around here," Cantrell said. "This is what happens. We're living it and you cannot make it up."
There have been at least five major water main breaks in the Uptown area this year, with the newest pipe involved reported to be 80-years-old.