Balloon Causes Power Outage and Boil Advisory in Major Louisiana City

A major power outage in New Orleans, Louisiana caused much of the city to go under a boil advisory on Tuesday, August 6th.

Utility workers report that a boil water advisory was issued for the entire east bank of New Orleans and Algiers Point after a drop in water pressure.

The New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board says the sudden drop in pressure on Tuesday night was severe enough that the boil advisory was issued for nearly all of the city.

Treatment facilities were affected by the power outage, thus it became unsafe for citizens to consume the water without boiling it.

The cause of the outage was a balloon. Yes, a balloon that was released into the air came into contact with power lines in New Orleans, which ultimately led to a power outage, and then the boil advisory.

Many have questioned the city's infrastructure for years and this is just another case that proves how vulnerable it is. Why didn't generators at the treatment facilities kick on when power was lost seems to be the "Million Dollar Question" from many.

In recent years we've seen many people on social media discourage the releasing of balloons in the air for events, and that's one of the many reasons why it may be time to stop letting balloons float away at release ceremonies.

FOX 8 News reports, "A Sewerage and Water Board Operations team member was seriously injured trying to get the pumps back online."

If there's any good news to share here it is that the water pressure to the east bank of New Orleans and Algiers Point has been restored.. However, as a precautionary measure, the boil advisory will remain in effect.

Here's a video that I came across when searching "Balloon Releases" and it explains the dangers of releasing them into the sky and environment.