Residents of a Louisiana city have been told to boil their water after a water main was damaged by a contractor.
A warning has been issued as a "precaution" by the city of Slidell after a contractor hit a 10-inch water main pipe and remains in place until further notice. Slidell is in east Louisiana and is about a 30-minute drive from New Orleans. The addresses affected are listed below.
The advisory, issued on Thursday, February 15, will remain in place until water samples are clear again, which usually takes "several days," the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has said. Exactly what, if anything, the water has been contaminated by has not been clarified by authorities.
The city said notices have also been posted directly to the relevant addresses. Newsweek has contacted the City of Slidell for comment via email outside of normal working hours.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says anyone who is currently under a boil water advisory should bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute if they plan to drink or cook with it. Anyone living at elevations above 6,500 feet should boil their water for three minutes.
The government agency also advises using pre-made baby formula or using bottled water when feeding babies. When bathing children, parents should be cautious and ensure the child does not swallow any water. The CDC advises giving young children a sponge bath to reduce the chance of them swallowing water.
Pets should also be given pre-boiled or bottled water as any possible germs can affect them too.
It also warns against using ice from a refrigerator or any other appliance that is connected to a main water line.
When washing dishes by hand, the CDC says to soak rinsed dishes in water with a teaspoon of bleach and set aside for at least one minute and then leave to air dry.
Handwashing is fine while an advisory is in place. If unsure, the CDC advises using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with a strength of at least 60 percent.
A boil water advisory is less serious than a "do not drink" or "do not use water" advisory. In these instances, bottled water should be used for any activity that would usually involve using water, including drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, washing and preparing foods, mixing baby formula, making ice and giving to pets.
The advisory affects residents living at the following addresses:
- 1100-1081 Rue Verand
- 1000-1140 Rue Corton
- 1000-1150 Rue Latour
- 1000-1150 Rue Orleans
- 1000-1150 Rue Toulouse
- 1000-1150 Rue Bordeaux
- 1000-1150 Rue Calis
- 1000-1150 Rue Limoges
- 1100-1607 Rue Miramon
- 1500-1614 Rue Lemans
- 1130-1504 Gause
- 1100-1151 Rue Rochelle
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Aliss Higham is a Newsweek reporter based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her focus is reporting on issues across the U.S., including ... Read more
