NEW ORLEANS - Residents in much of New Orleans awoke to news that they should boil tap water before drinking it.

  

Thursday's boil advisory is the latest complication from severe winter weather.

  

The city's Sewerage and Water Board began reporting drops in water pressure in some areas Wednesday, when a brief thaw revealed that pipes had burst on numerous properties during an overnight hard freeze.

  

Water spewing from broken pipes is believed to have caused pressure to drop significantly. The advisory affects water customers on the east bank of the Mississippi river.

  

The advisory comes as customers of Entergy utilities were being urged to conserve electricity due to high demand. Parts of Interstate 10 in and around New Orleans are still shut down. A thaw was expected to begin late Thursday morning.