SLIDELL, La. — Ten-thousand people in Slidell were placed under a boil water advisory Thursday morning after a contractor hit a water main.
"Vexus hit a water main in the Cross Gates Water System in Slidell, causing a system-wide drop in pressure," The St. Tammany Parish Government said Thursday morning. "Parish crews are actively working to make repairs."
The St. Tammany Parish government released a map of the impacted areas, they said that crews are working to restore the water pressure.
In addition to houses and apartments, the impacted area includes Cross Gates Family Fitness and a neighborhood Winn Dixie.
What to do during a boil water advisory
Advisories don’t necessarily mean that the water is contaminated but that viruses or bacteria could have gotten into the system, and the current water quality is unknown.
During a boil advisory, you should use bottled water or water you’ve boiled for one minute on the stove.
This goes for washing dishes, cooking, drinking, brushing your teeth, mixing baby formula, or filling your pet’s water bowl.
The CDC says you should boil your tap water even if you have a water filter because most kitchen filters don’t kill bacteria or viruses. Only a UV water disinfection system can kill them.
Don’t use any ice made with tap water during the boil advisory, and be sure to empty your ice maker after the order is lifted.
Baths and showers are okay, just try not to get water in your mouth. You should sponge-bathe babies and small kids to keep them from swallowing water. Laundry and using the dishwasher is okay, too, as long as you have good enough water pressure and the parish isn’t specifically requesting residents to conserve water.
