For the first time since Hurricane Katrina, officials say that all of New Orleans now has safe drinking water.
Marcia St. Martin, executive director of the Sewerage & Water Board, told the Times Picayune that tap water was finally declared safe in the northern section of the Lower Ninth Ward. Thousands of homes in this area have been without drinkable water for more than a year.
This latest restoration has affected 4,000 residents.
More than a year was needed to restore all of the city’s water service due to an unprecedented amount of damage, including a barge that blocked repairs to a major trunk line.
City Council member Cynthia Willard-Lewis also said that the damage from Katrina was aggravated by Hurricane Rita less than a month later.
Source: Times Picayune
