JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — The City of Grand Islehas water pressure again Saturday after losing all access to fresh water the day before when a boat reportedly crashed and severed the island's main service line.
In a Saturday morning update, officials said no boil water advisory would be issued for the island because parish repair crews were able to keep water pressure in the pipes above the minimum threshold.
According to Jefferson Parish officials, the island was expected to run out of its water supply around 10 a.m.Friday after an unidentified vessel crashed into the water line that runs from Lafitte to Grand Isle on Thursday.
While the details around the crash were not immediately available, officials said multiple crews were mobilized to repair the damage and bring hundreds of thousands of gallons of water onto the island while service is disconnected.
20,000 bottles of water will be available to residents at the Grand Isle Multiplex (3101 Highway 1) by 1 p.m., officials said.
Jefferson Parish Councilman Ricky Templet told WWLTV fire safety was his first priority.
"Naturally, we want to make sure we have water to drink, clean our dishes and take baths, but fire safety is the number one priority," Templet said. "We’re trying to make sure we do not lose the capability to do so."
A barge with more than 400,000 gallons of water is being sent from Lafitte around noon and should arrive between 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. to refill the island's storage tanks.
Mayor David Camardelle said he doesn't know how long Grand Isle will have water for before a permanent solution.
"It could be close. Listen, I can’t guarantee anything, but if we can haul more water in, the way it looks there’s a good possibility that it can stay at a low, low pressure," the mayor said.
Filling those tanks should restore water pressure, officials said, which would make the time without service around 6-7 hours.
Still, things will not be back to normal until either Saturday or Sunday, and a boil water advisory is anticipated when pressure returns.
Boil alerts typically last around 24 hours while tests are done to make sure water is safe to drink. During that time, residents are asked to boil their drinking water for at least one minute before consumption.
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