UPDATE: Opelousas Julius Alsandor is asking residents to continue to conserve water, and stay off the roads if at all possible.
"Based upon rain and frigid temperatures forecasted for our area, a snow and rain winter mix is expected which will lead to continued accumulation of ice on roads, bridges and overpasses. With additional winter precipitation, the city is asking citizens stay off the roads if at all possible and to avoid ALL unnecessary travel at this time," he says in a statement.
On the subject of water, he's asking everyone to conserve water and turn off the faucets if you can.
"The city’s water department crew is still working to resolve the low water pressure issues. The city will continue to operate its pumping facilities at full capacity. We will not be lowering pressure or turning off city water services. We kindly ask residents to reduce water consumption and limit water usage. Please do not have multiple faucets dripping/running at the same time. If you can, please turn home faucets off. The water pressure is low and our water system reserves at the water plant as well as the city reserve tanks have nearly been depleted. Until this issue is corrected, a water-boil advisory remains in effect for Opelousas water customers," he says.
He offers advice if you have frozen pipes:
"Should customers experience frozen pipes, (1) the best course of action is to contact a plumber so the pipe can be safely thawed and any ruptures repaired immediately, (2) If your water pipes rupture and water is entering the house, use your private shutoff valve to turn off the water. If you do not have a shutoff valve, or if you cannot find it, call the City Water Distribution office at 337-948-2555," he says.
And, citizens should prepare to lose power.
"Along with the icy roadways, ice is accumulating on tree limbs and power lines. With tree limbs and power lines susceptible to breaking, this will cause hazards as well as outages for some areas. Please be prepared for outages related to these storm issues. Thank you for your cooperation," he says.
Earlier this morning, we reported that the City of Opelousas is now under a system-wide boil advisory.
On Wednesday, the Mayor of Opelousas asked residents to turn off any faucets that may be dripping or running due to cold weather.
Mayor Julius Alsandor said that the water pressure was low and the city's water system reserves at the water plant and at the city reserve tanks have nearly been depleted.
On Tuesday, the city asked that residents conserve water and limit use to reduce impact on the water pressure and levels in the city.
If residents experienced leaks, they were asked to call call 337-948-2555.
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