Current Boil Advisories/Shutdowns
| Area | Reason for Boil Advisory | Length of Advisory | Date Issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bunkie, 13374 Hwy. 182 to Solid Waste Road, and all customers on Hwy. 10 | Broken water line | Until further notice | 5/26/23 |
| City of St. Martinville, from Denier Street south to the city limits | Repairs to broken waterline | Until further notice | 5/23/23 |
| Town of Basile, West Stagg & Highway 190, West of Jimmy Street & Magnolia, to Bayou Nezpique, including Residents in the Hebert Subdivision | Waterline repair | Until further notice | 5/4/23 |
| City of St. Martinville | Broken waterline | 4-5 hours | 4/10/23 |
| Plaisance Water System, Customers living on Government Rd, Federal Rd, Hidalgo Rd, National Rd and Hwy 3043 | N/A | Until further notice | 4/3/23 |
| Lawtell District 1, Blake St. | N/A | Until further notice | 3/30/23 |
| Rees Street near Thibodeaux St. in Breaux Bridge | Break in a main water line | Until further notice | 3/29/23 |
| Canadian Lane in Church Point | Due to waterline repairs in the Mire area on 3/20. | Until Further Notice | 3/24/23 |
| Turkey Creek Water System, Melissa Lane, Azalea Lane and Snoddy Lane | Break in waterline | Until further notice | 3/19/23 |
| Town of Basile, north and south of Hwy. 190 between Paul Bellon Rd. and Martin Luther King Ave., east, west and south of Miguel Rd. | Main waterline break south of Hwy. 190 | Until further notice | 3/1/23 |
| Opelousas (just south of Judson Walsh Dr., Royal Gardens and Hickory Ridge areas) | Water main leak | Until further notice | 2/27/23 |
| City of Abbeville, south of Maude, north of Felicity, east of S. St. Charles, west of South East Street | Replacement of fire hydrant | Until further notice | 2/10/23 |
Boil Advisories Recently Lifted
| Area | Date Lifted |
| Jeff Davis Water District 4, North of I-10 to Grand Marais Rd. | 5/20/23 |
| Town of Lake Arthur, Grand St., Pleasant St. and Magnoila St. | 5/24/23 |
| Prairie Ronde Water System, Inc., John Paul Drive in Opelousas | 5/25/23 |
| Town of Iota | 5/26/23 |
| East Side Water System, Grand Prairie | 5/26/23 |
| Egan, Gotts Cove area, Meadow Lane, Crochet Road, Birch Road, and Mamou Prairie Road | 5/26/23 |
What do I need to do in a boil advisory?
- Bring your water to a full rolling boil for one minute.
- Allow the water to cool before use. Cooling may take up to 30 minutes, so prepare ahead.
- Boil your water for all cooking, washing, brushing teeth, and drinking, including washing foods and for use in baby formulas. Boil tap water even if it is filtered, as most kitchen and other household water filters typically do not remove bacteria or viruses.
- Turn off automatic ice makers
- Replace water filters, as they are disposable and may be contaminated, including carbon filters.
- If you don’t like the taste of boiled water, you can try adding a pinch of salt, letting the water stand for a few hours or pouring the cooled boiled water back and forth from one clean glass or container into another to add air to the water, according to the CDC.
If you are unable to boil your water, disinfect it instead.
If tap water is clear:
- Use unscented bleach (bleach that does not have an added scent).
- Add 1/8 teaspoon (8 drops or about 0.75 milliliters) of unscented household liquid bleach to 1 gallon (16 cups) of water.
- Mix well and wait 30 minutes or more before drinking.
- Store disinfected water in clean container with a cover.
If tap water is cloudy:
- Filter water using clean cloth.
- Use unscented bleach (bleach that does not have an added scent).
- Add 1/4 teaspoon (16 drops or 1.5 milliliters) of unscented household liquid bleach to 1 gallon (16 cups) of water.
- Mix well and wait 30 minutes or more before drinking.
- Store disinfected water in clean container with a cover.
- Remember that containers may need to be sanitized before using them to store safe water.
To sanitize containers:
- Use unscented bleach (bleach that does not have an added scent).
- Make a sanitizing solution by mixing 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) of unscented household liquid bleach in 1 quart (32 ounces, 4 cups, or about 1 liter) of water.
- Pour this sanitizing solution into a clean storage container and shake well, making sure that the solution coats the entire inside of the container.
What does a boil advisory mean?
Cities, towns, and water districts may issue a boil advisory whenever pressure in a water main drops below a certain threshold established by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. This usually happens when there is a major break in a mainline or when repairs are being made in a water line.
The reason a boil advisory is issued is that when pressure is low (below 20 psi), it can allow material from the surrounding soil to enter a water line. When pressure is high, that pressure typically keeps outside material from entering breaks in water lines.
Boil advisories remain in place until fixes are made in the water lines and the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) can perform tests on the water to ensure that no outside material, including soil and microbes, can be found in pressurized water. This is usually a 24-48 hour process, though at times, it can last longer. The boil advisory is lifted when the results from DHH show “all clear.”
See a Frequently Asked Questions document for more information.