Water pressure is improving across Shreveport following a major break in a 42-inch transmission main that plunged the city into a public health emergency over the weekend, and Caddo Parish schools are set to reopen Wednesday after two days of virtual instruction — though a citywide boil water advisory remains in effect.
The Department of Water and Sewerage reported Tuesday that the airport area is seeing a significant pressure increase, most local hospitals have returned to near-normal levels and conditions in west Shreveport have also improved. Crews working around the clock have begun installing a temporary bypass at the Thomas L. Amiss Water Purification Plant near Cross Lake, and the city received its first shipment of custom-fabricated repair materials Tuesday morning.
Mayor Tom Arceneaux remains hopeful a temporary fix will be in place by Friday, March 6. A permanent repair will follow once contractors can pump down the area surrounding the failed main, which lies underwater inside the plant, preventing a full assessment of the damage.
Caddo Parish Schools announced Tuesday evening that water service has been fully restored with stable pressure maintained throughout the day. All Caddo schools and district sites will resume normal in-person operations Wednesday. District officials are encouraging families to send students with bottled water as a precaution, and the district will provide a limited supply on campuses while the boil advisory remains in place.
The citywide voluntary boil advisory will not be lifted until the bypass line is removed, the system is fully stabilized and water samples are collected and confirmed safe in coordination with the Louisiana Department of Health. Residents are advised to boil water for one full minute before drinking, brushing teeth, making ice or preparing food.
Emergency water distribution sites remain active. As of Tuesday, distribution was scheduled at Summer Grove Baptist Church, Lee Hedges Stadium, the State Fairgrounds and the Shreve City area, among other locations. Residents can check current distribution hours and pressure zone maps at shreveportlawater.gov.
The crisis has drawn attention to the broader state of Shreveport’s aging water infrastructure. The Louisiana Department of Health issued an administrative order in 2025 citing deficiencies going back to 2021, requiring the city to repair flow meters, sensors and actuators and complete elevated tank repairs by April. Voters approved 2 million in water system improvements in 2024, though the failed 42-inch main was not among the lines scheduled for replacement.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t get these improvements in the ground before this event occurred,” Arceneaux said. “The water system is old.”