Boil Water Advisory in Effect For 300,000 on East Bank of New Orleans

Thousands of New Orleans residents may be skipping their morning shower, due to a boil-water advisory that remains in effect for most of the city.

A three-minute power outage is blamed for the advisory, which is expected to be in effect until later today. About 300,000 people live in the affected east bank areas.

The west bank is not affected.

The Sewerage and Water Board called for the advisory after Monday morning's mishap at the power plant on South Claiborne Avenue. The city sent a mass email alert to boil water before use almost five hours later.

Officials say the risk is low that bacteria seeped into the system, and the advisory is precautionary. Health officials say showering is safe, but not for people with any open sores or cuts. They also advise being careful not to swallow any of the water.

Restaurants and tourism officials say precautions in effect include using commercially prepared ice and cooking with bottled and boiled water. Test results of bacteria levels are expected later today.