A precautionary boil water advisory has been issued for the town of Abita Springs after a pressure gauge that controls the north shore community's water tower froze overnight. The order was issued at 9 a.m. Tuesday (Dec. 7) by Mayor Greg Lemons.
The gauge problem has been corrected, but the order will remain in place until tests confirm the water is safe to drink, according to a statement from Lemons.
At approximately 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, about 20 percent of the town's homes lost water pressure due to the frozen gauge, which caused the water level in the tower to drop. The problem was resolved by 7:30 a.m. and water pressure was fully restored, but water samples must be tested by the department of Health and Hospitals before an all clear signal is given,Lemons said.
The pressure gauge that froze had heaters on it, but not enough to compensate for the extreme temperatures, which dropped into the teens overnight. The town has added more heaters to prevent a re-occurrence, Lemons said.