Roadwork ahead: Weekend water main repairs planned in Central City

Repairs to two water mains will necessitate temporary road closures and low water pressure in Central City this weekend, the Sewerage & Water Board reported. Beginning on Saturday (Dec. 10) at 8 a.m., Sewerage & Water Board crews will temporarily close one lane of riverbound traffic in the 2800 block of Martin Luther King, between South Claiborne Avenue and Magnolia Street, for repair work and road restoration. The roadway is expected to reopen the same day at around 4 p.m.

This closure is required for repairs to a 4-inch water main that runs along Martin Luther King Boulevard. Signage will be in place to direct traffic.

Maintenance at S&WB plant may reduce water pressure in the Garden District

The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans crews will perform maintenance work beginning Wednesday (Dec. 7) that could result in lower-than-normal water pressure in the Garden District, the S&WB states in a press release. The repair work will begin at 7 a.m. is expected to last at least 12 hours. As a part of the Water Hammer Hazard Mitigation Program, crews will isolate and close a 43-inch water main located within the Carrolton Water Plant. The water main they will be closing supplements much of the water supply to the Central Business District and the Garden District.

Leaky turbine spewing oil on Carrollton Power Plant neighbors, WWL-TV reports

The state Department of Environmental Quality released a report confirming neighbors’ complaints that one of the Sewerage & Water Board’s aged turbines is leaking oil and spewing it over their property, the latest in a series of hazards surrounding the Carrollton Power Plant, David Hammer reported on WWL-TV. As the S&WB spends millions to fix the outdated equipment that runs the city’s critical drainage and water pumps, the continual equipment failures damage Carrollton-area neighbors’ quality of life. An agency spokeswoman told Hammer the S&WB will meet with neighbors and is working with its insurance company on property damage claims and with turbine maker GE to schedule diagnostic tests on Turbine 5.

Expect low water pressure as S&WB closes main line for testing

From the Sewerage & Water Board

Sewerage & Water Board crews will perform a test closure in advance of a critical repair needed in the area of Gen. Ogden and Nelson streets in Hollygrove. Beginning tonight (Feb. 14) around 9 p.m., crews will be closing down a 50-inch water main that supplements the water supply to Mid-City, Lakeview, Gentilly and New Orleans East. This test closure may result in the potential of lower-than-normal water pressures. To minimize potential impact, crews are starting at 9 p.m.

Upper floors of multi-story buildings will potentially see the most impact.

S&WB lifts its boil water advisory

From the Sewerage & Water Board

The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans, in consultation with the Louisiana Department of Health, has canceled the precautionary boil water advisory for residents and businesses in New Orleans after bacteriological tests confirmed that water in the area was safe to drink and could be used for personal needs. Water samples from across the area have tested negative for contamination. 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.

Boil water advisory issued for most of Uptown

The Sewerage & Water Board issued a precautionary boil water advisory for the area bounded by South Carrollton Avenue, the Mississippi River and the Pontchartrain Expressway following a loss of Entergy power at the Carrollton Water Plant, resulting in low water pressure. The above map of the affected area can be found here. It was triggered by the massive power outage after the tornado touched down in the Carrollton area early Wednesday (May 12), reports say. Residents in the affected area are advised to use bottled or boiled tap water to drink, cook, clean food or brush teeth until further notice. Residents with compromised immune systems should also use safe water to wash hands, shower or bathe.