This page is scheduled to be updated to our new layout shortly. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work hard to bring you a better online experience.
Home / News & Events / Press Releases / View Press Release
Back to Previous Page
Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans Provides Update on Complex Water Main Repair on Marconi Drive
For Immediate Release
August 3, 2020

NEW ORLEANS – Starting tomorrow morning, the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans will begin the second attempt at repairing a 30-inch water main on Marconi Drive. During last week’s efforts, the SWBNO team found that the damage to the pipe, which is housed in a vault within the Orleans Canal levee, was more extensive and would require a larger repair. SWBNO had approached the challenging repair with the understanding that they may encounter this more serious condition.

Starting tomorrow through Wednesday, Lakeview residents may experience lower than normal water pressure. The top goal is to prevent any pressure drops below the state-mandated 20 psi that would require a boil-water advisory. Crews will diligently monitor pressure throughout the repair, and plans are in place to react swiftly to keep water pressure above 30 psi as much as possible.

SWBNO is in close communication with its partners at the Office of New Orleans Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP) and the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD). If there is a fire in the impact zone during the repair, crews are prepared to swiftly reverse course, restore water, and support the NOFD in its mission.

Because the intricate work will involve some risk to water pressure, SWBNO urges residents to prepare for a period of low to no water pressure as a precaution.

You can prepare ahead to manage a low-water pressure situation during COVID-19:

Stock up on bottled water.

Fill your bathtub with clean water to use today, before repair begins.

Continue to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during a boil water advisory by washing your hands often with boiled or bottled water.

Should pressure drop below 20 psi and a boil-water advisory be necessary, be prepared to boil water for at least one minute as an extra precaution to ensure your drinking water is safe to use. For more information, visit www.swbno.org/News/BoilWater.

Continue to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during a boil water advisory by washing your hands often with boiled or bottled water or using hand sanitizer.

###

# # #
This page was last modified on Thursday, September 17, 2020
Leave feedback about this page