Many New Orleans residents woke up to inconvenient news — much of the city was under a precautionary boil water advisory.
City officials say Saturday's advisory was issued out of an abundance of caution after a power loss at a distribution system caused a pressure drop to low levels.
The concern is that low pressure can allow contaminants to enter a water pipe. The advisory affects all New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board customers on the East Bank of the Mississippi River. Pressure dropped to below the safety threshold between 6:42 a.m. and 6:50 a.m.
It was unclear when the advisory would be lifted. Recurring power problems have plagued the Sewerage and Water Board in recent years — at times affecting the drinking water system and the city's drainage pumps.