Parts of Chalmette are on high alert at the tap after St. Bernard Parish officials issued a precautionary boil water advisory Wednesday for a busy stretch of Paris Road. Residents and businesses from Virtue Street down to the Bayou Bienvenue Bridge are being told to boil their water before drinking or cooking, all because emergency repair work forced crews to isolate a section of the water line. The advisory will stay in place until testing clears the system.
Affected area and reason
In a post on Facebook, the St. Bernard Parish Government laid out the details: the advisory covers Paris Road from Virtue Street to the Bayou Bienvenue Bridge and stems from emergency repairs on the water line. The April 15 notice instructs residents and businesses in the area to boil water before using it for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth or making ice until parish officials give the all clear.
What residents should do
Health guidance calls for bringing clear tap water to a rolling boil for at least one full minute, then letting it cool before use, with extra time recommended at higher elevations. Bottled water is considered a safe fallback. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers similar step-by-step instructions on boiling and storing water during advisories, and officials urge residents to be especially careful when mixing infant formula or serving anyone with a weakened immune system.
Testing and when the advisory will be lifted…