Press Releases

New Orleans – The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO), in consultation with the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), has canceled the precautionary boil water advisory for residents and businesses in the Lower 9th Ward and New Orleans East after bacteriological tests confirmed that water in the area was safe to drink and could be used for personal needs.

Customers who have not used their water supply during this precautionary boil water advisory are advised to flush their internal and external plumbing by running water through their system for several minutes.

Water samples from across the Lower 9th Ward and New Orleans East area have tested negative for contamination. SWBNO is committed to providing safe drinking water,  and this precautionary boil water advisory was issued out of an abundance of caution to ensure the public’s safety. We thank the impacted residents and businesses for their patience and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.  We also commend the fast and professional work of SWBNO employees from several departments and the excellent cooperation of LDH officials during this event.

Boil water advisories are issued out of an abundance whenever the water pressure drops below 20 psi. We agree with the recommendations of our regulatory partner, LDH, that it is prudent to issue these advisories. 

This precautionary boil water advisory was issued on October 3, 2019 when water pressure levels dropped below 20 psi due to planned, complex repairs to several sites in the water distribution system were underway that evening. SWBNO crews were closing valves to limit water to those areas, so the work could commence, when SWBNO pressure gauges detected widespread water pressure drops throughout New Orleans. In response, our crews reopened several closed valves and the water towers in Carrollton released water in an attempt to slow the pressure drop.

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