Safe Drinking Water Emergency Response | Louisiana Department of Health
Source: http://dhh.louisiana.gov/bureau-of-engineering-services/safe-drinking-water-emergency-response
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:21
Safe Drinking Water Emergency Response | Louisiana Department of Health
Emergency Preparedness & Response
Safe Drinking Water Emergency Response
Safe Drinking Water Emergency Response
Emergency Reporting - Water Outages and Boil Water Advisories
Currently, the Safe Drinking Water Program is not tracking any Emergency Storm-Related Water Outages and/or Boil Water Advisories
Please contact your water system for any boil water advisory information in your area.
Disasters and emergencies can impact a public water utility’s ability to produce, treat and/or deliver safe drinking water to the customers (homes, medical facilities, and businesses) they serve. Emergencies may be natural or man-made, and may include hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, winter weather, chemical spills, explosions involving nuclear or radiological sources, and many other hazards.
No matter the nature of the incident, the primary objective of the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH)
Safe Drinking Water Program
is to ensure public safety from potential water contamination. During an event, LDH staff perform assessments to identify infrastructure damage and the operating status of water utilities located in the affected areas. Information gathered is used to generate and report water outages and boil water advisories to the media, parish leaders, state agencies, the
Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
(GOHSEP), critical customers (hospitals, dialysis centers, nursing homes, etc.) and the general public.
The resources provided below are intended to support drinking water system owners, administrators and operators. The tools and guidance documents contain information on the steps water systems can take before, during and after an event to improve the resiliency of their water system.
Dedicated standby power shall be provided by all community water supplies, and any non-community water supply serving a hospital, so that water can be treated and/or pumped to the distribution system during power outages to meet the average daily demand during the month of maximum water use.
Continual Drought Conditions and High Demand Water Usage
Due to the current drought conditions and increased water demand (i.e., increased lawn and garden irrigation, etc.), water systems throughout the State are beginning to run into supply issues. We ask that you monitor your systems carefully to ensure your systems production continues to keep up with demand.
Key Recommendations:
Monitor Demand Closely
: Please be vigilant in monitoring your water system's demand and supply balance. Regularly review your demand forecasts and real-time consumption data.
Prepare for Water Conservation Notices
: If you determine that demand might surpass supply or that your system is nearing its operational limits, be prepared to issue water conservation notices to your consumers promptly.
Educate Consumers
: Even if a water conservation notice is not immediately necessary, we recommend proactively educating your consumers on the importance of water conservation and providing them with tips and practices to help reduce their water consumption.
Communication:
Make sure you contact your local LDH Regional Engineering Office if you have to issue a water outage or boil water advisory.
Resources
Preparedness
For Water Systems:
Know your LDH contacts -
Engineering Services
Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP) Contacts
Boil Water Advisories Issuance and Template
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Links:
Generator Preparedness for Water Utilities
Planning for an Emergency Drinking Water Supply
Emergency Response Plan (ERP) Template and Instructions
Build Flood Resiliency at your Water Utility
Power Resilience Guides
For Water and Wastewater Utilities
Generator Lessons Learned
Incident Action Checklist:
Extreme Cold/Winter Storms
Response
EPA - Communication During Emergency Response for Water Utilities
EPA - Drought Response and Recovery Guide for Water Utilities
EPA - Chemical Suppliers and Manufacturers Locator Tool
Recovery
Federal Funding for Water and Wastewater Utilities
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)
Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC)
Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants
Boil Water Advisory Resources
For Water System Customers
CDC - Guidelines for Schools/Childcare Facilities
Drink Safe Water after a Natural Disaster
Fact Sheet about what to do during a Boil Water Advisory
FAQ about what to do after a Drinking Water Advisory
For Public Water System Owners/Operators
Boil Water Advisory Issuance and Template
EPA - Emergency Response for Drinking Water
For Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities
CDC - Healthy Water Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities Planning Guide
Contact
For more info, contact the Bureau of Engineering Services at 225-342-7499.
Surgeon General
Evelyn Griffin, MD
Secretary
Bruce D. Greenstein
Powered by
Cicero Government
Emergency Preparedness & Response
Safe Drinking Water Emergency Response
Safe Drinking Water Emergency Response
Emergency Reporting - Water Outages and Boil Water Advisories
Currently, the Safe Drinking Water Program is not tracking any Emergency Storm-Related Water Outages and/or Boil Water Advisories
Please contact your water system for any boil water advisory information in your area.
Disasters and emergencies can impact a public water utility’s ability to produce, treat and/or deliver safe drinking water to the customers (homes, medical facilities, and businesses) they serve. Emergencies may be natural or man-made, and may include hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, winter weather, chemical spills, explosions involving nuclear or radiological sources, and many other hazards.
No matter the nature of the incident, the primary objective of the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH)
Safe Drinking Water Program
is to ensure public safety from potential water contamination. During an event, LDH staff perform assessments to identify infrastructure damage and the operating status of water utilities located in the affected areas. Information gathered is used to generate and report water outages and boil water advisories to the media, parish leaders, state agencies, the
Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
(GOHSEP), critical customers (hospitals, dialysis centers, nursing homes, etc.) and the general public.
The resources provided below are intended to support drinking water system owners, administrators and operators. The tools and guidance documents contain information on the steps water systems can take before, during and after an event to improve the resiliency of their water system.
Dedicated standby power shall be provided by all community water supplies, and any non-community water supply serving a hospital, so that water can be treated and/or pumped to the distribution system during power outages to meet the average daily demand during the month of maximum water use.
Continual Drought Conditions and High Demand Water Usage
Due to the current drought conditions and increased water demand (i.e., increased lawn and garden irrigation, etc.), water systems throughout the State are beginning to run into supply issues. We ask that you monitor your systems carefully to ensure your systems production continues to keep up with demand.
Key Recommendations:
Monitor Demand Closely
: Please be vigilant in monitoring your water system's demand and supply balance. Regularly review your demand forecasts and real-time consumption data.
Prepare for Water Conservation Notices
: If you determine that demand might surpass supply or that your system is nearing its operational limits, be prepared to issue water conservation notices to your consumers promptly.
Educate Consumers
: Even if a water conservation notice is not immediately necessary, we recommend proactively educating your consumers on the importance of water conservation and providing them with tips and practices to help reduce their water consumption.
Communication:
Make sure you contact your local LDH Regional Engineering Office if you have to issue a water outage or boil water advisory.
Resources
Preparedness
For Water Systems:
Know your LDH contacts -
Engineering Services
Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP) Contacts
Boil Water Advisories Issuance and Template
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Links:
Generator Preparedness for Water Utilities
Planning for an Emergency Drinking Water Supply
Emergency Response Plan (ERP) Template and Instructions
Build Flood Resiliency at your Water Utility
Power Resilience Guides
For Water and Wastewater Utilities
Generator Lessons Learned
Incident Action Checklist:
Extreme Cold/Winter Storms
Response
EPA - Communication During Emergency Response for Water Utilities
EPA - Drought Response and Recovery Guide for Water Utilities
EPA - Chemical Suppliers and Manufacturers Locator Tool
Recovery
Federal Funding for Water and Wastewater Utilities
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)
Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC)
Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants
Boil Water Advisory Resources
For Water System Customers
CDC - Guidelines for Schools/Childcare Facilities
Drink Safe Water after a Natural Disaster
Fact Sheet about what to do during a Boil Water Advisory
FAQ about what to do after a Drinking Water Advisory
For Public Water System Owners/Operators
Boil Water Advisory Issuance and Template
EPA - Emergency Response for Drinking Water
For Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities
CDC - Healthy Water Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities Planning Guide
Contact
For more info, contact the Bureau of Engineering Services at 225-342-7499.
Surgeon General
Evelyn Griffin, MD
Secretary
Bruce D. Greenstein
Powered by
Cicero Government