"Grossly unacceptable:" Council blasts SWBNO over pipe failures
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Leaders of the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board acknowledged Tuesday under pressure from the city that they don't have a plan to prevent more massive pipe breaks and asked officials for more time.
Why it matters: Residents are frustrated after multiple breaks Uptown have flooded homes and cars and left thousands across the East Bank under boil-water advisories.
The big picture: Randy Hayman, SWBNO's executive director, says the agency is essentially trying to change a flat tire on a moving car.
- He was in Washington, D.C., on Monday to ask the state's congressional delegation for a $10 million earmark to make repairs.
- He estimates it will take a minimum of $200 million to replace all the city's water pipes.
- City Council members pressed him and interim general superintendent Kaitlin Tymrak for answers about what can be done now.
Zoom in: Hayman said the agency must complete an audit of the pipes in known hot spots before it can release a repair plan. He didn't give a timeline for either.
- He and Mayor Helena Moreno are interested in an acoustic analysis of the pipes to identify weak spots once the audit is finished.
- He says they are exploring different technologies, like putting a rubber pipe inside the old pipes, but it's unclear whether that would work.
- More than 34% of the transmission mains are at least 100 years old, he said.
Catch up quick: SWBNO has reported three large water breaks Uptown in the last three weeks.
- The most recent was Monday at Panola Street and Carrollton Avenue. Residents woke up to ankle-deep water in their homes, says Councilmember Aimee McCarron.
- Will SWBNO fix the flooded homes and vehicles? It doesn't sound likely, but Hayman said people can call the utility's customer service line to make their case.
What he's saying: "Sewerage and Water Board does not have a comprehensive plan," said Councilmember Jason Hughes, who chairs the public works committee. "It leaves all of our residents vulnerable, and it's grossly unacceptable."
- The city wants to see urgency, he and other members said. Too many people are reporting leaks that aren't getting fixed.
- Hayman said there's a lot being done behind the scenes.
Between the lines: SWBNO is a quasi-state agency. Moreno sits on its board, but she said Monday the city lacks authority to reform the utility.
- She's backing new state legislation to change that.
What's next: SWBNO will go before the council next month. If leaders still don't present a plan, Hughes warned, there will be "consequences."