Freezing weather hits water lines

Water pressure in Morgan City continues to rise after a boil advisory was issued Wednesday morning, but it is unclear how long the advisory will remain in effect.
City Utilities Director Bill Cefalu said water pressure dropped because of a combination of above average usage of water and many water breaks.
Morgan City is one of three areas that was under a boil water advisory Wednesday, As Assumption Parish Waterworks District No. 1 issued an advisory for Pierre Part, Belle River and Bayou L’Ourse customers and St. Martin Parish Water & Sewer Commission No. 1 issued a boil advisory for Stephensville residents. Morgan City provides Stephensville its water.
The city had to institute a boil order after losing water pressure.
However, water pressure had risen Wednesday and continued this morning but was not at suitable levels to lift the boil advisory.
Cefalu said when use among residents stops, the water pressure will continue rising. Once it reaches a suitable pressure, and the city gets approval from the state Department of Health, then the boil order can be lifted.
While water needs to be boiled for drinking and cooking, it is OK to take a shower or flush the toilet, Cefalu said.
Mayor Lee Dragna said in a Facebook post that leaks began when the water breaks that had occurred thawed with rising temperatures.
He encouraged residents to check their property for leaks and if they can’t fix the problem immediately, contact the city.
According to a post on the city’s Facebook page, city workers went “house to house” to look for water leaks and shut off water to houses with leaks found.
“If your meter is turned off, that means there is a leak on your side of the meter,” the city said in its Facebook post. “As soon as repairs are made, the water meter can be turned back on.”
Cefalu said depending on the time needed for Morgan City to fill its water towers will determine how soon Stephensville can be supplied the pressure to fill their towers.
In Assumption Parish, Water District No. 1 said in a Facebook post that breaks occurred in their main lines in the Pierre Part, Belle River and Bayou L’Ourse areas.
“We will lift the boil water advisory once the bacteriological samples are received and are found to be in compliance from the state of Louisiana’s lab,” the post said.
Elsewhere, no other advisories were issued in eastern St. Mary Parish.
While Berwick Mayor Duval Arthur and Patterson Mayor Rodney Grogan said lower water pressure has been experienced in their municipalities, they said the water there is still safe.
Arthur said the town fixed a water leak on Mount Street Wednesday.
While Arthur said the town was close to having to issue a boil water advisory, the water pressure didn’t dip enough to put the residents in danger.
Grogan said the city’s residents have experienced broken pipes, but he said as long as the city does not experience any breaks in its main lines, the city’s water will remain safe.