Oakdale residents cope with a boil advisory that could last five weeks

Oakdale, LA (KPLC) - Issues with Oakdale’s water tanks have led to a boil advisory expected to last more than a month.

Now, some residents are waiting for the water to be safe again

“What are we going to do? Everybody’s under boil advisory,” resident Derrance Billard said.

The tops of water tanks in Oakdale are caving in, that’s what the city said last week when it announced a boil advisory due to its aging system.

“Even though I don’t drink the water out of the faucet, I’ll be glad when it comes to an end because I miss my fountain drinks,” Billard said. “I had went to a restaurant yesterday and it was like I couldn’t get no ice, no fountain drinks so I’m like man.”

Drinks on ice are the specialty of Yum-Yum’s Frozen Daiquiris.

“We’re going to do whatever we have to do to stay in business,” bar owner Angela Spears said.

Spears had to make arrangements to stay open. She said even the health department called asking how they planned to do so.

“I reached out to a refrigeration guy and told him that I needed another ice machine just like the one I had here at the bar to be hooked up at my house,” Spears said. “We’re packing ice and water from the north district, I’m on a different district at my house. We’re packing our ice and our water up here so that our customers can be safe.”

Getting the new ice machine Friday cost her about $6,500.

“You know we’ve had to overcome a lot in the past couple years,” she said. “We’ve had COVID. We’ve had Hurricane Laura. We’ve had at different times, we’ve had a week of no water at all.”

Oakdale Mayor Gene Paul tells us after speaking with the contractors, the boil advisory will last about five weeks as crews install a new water tank.

“I’m not looking forward to a month of this, packing ice and water, but we’re going to do what we have to do,” Spears said.

Mayor Paul said five weeks is the best-case scenario and will continue to update citizens as the boil advisory remains while work is being done.

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