Willow and Audubon Streets are flooded with several inches of water after a 30-inch water main broke right by Tulane University’s Uptown campus on Thursday afternoon. Water depth reached 8 inches in the area closest to the break.

Flooding is expected to continue for 24 to 36 hours until a temporary valve can be installed, with repairs expected in the next two days, according to Steve Nelson, the city’s deputy director for infrastructure and public works.

This is the sixth water main break this year. There is currently no boil water advisory for this main break. The last boil water advisory was on Monday and lasted around 24 hours. 

“As your council member and a full council, we will continue to press the Sewerage and Water Board to get these things fixed,” New Orleans City Council member Aimee McCarron said.

As frustrations with the water main breaks have grown, city leaders have asked the state legislature for more control over SWBNO.

“People are frustrated, I’m frustrated and we need answers, and we need to figure out how Sewerage and Water Board is prioritizing and fixing these leaks and getting them fixed,” McCarron said.

Council member McCarron said she has been pushing the SWBNO to take action on leaks in Uptown for weeks, particularly one on Willow and Calhoun Street.

The flood comes ahead of a big weekend for Tulane. A projected 20,000 people will attend the fifth annual New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University, which starts Thursday evening and goes until Saturday.

Lila Mago contributed to the reporting of this article.