New SWBNO maps show location of century-old water mains
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) — The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) reports there are 33.8 miles of century-old water mains in the city.
As part of its plan to replace the old mains, it published a map of where they’re located.
The more than 100-year-old pipes are concentrated in the southern part of the East Bank, from Uptown through to Holy Cross.
The plan also included a map of SWBNO pipe replacement projects. The map shows projects that are both done and awaiting funding.
One of the century-old pipes broke at the intersection of Panola and Carrollton earlier in March.
Fox 8 found the renter, BilliJo Dolton, attempting to salvage family photographs.
“I shouldn’t have had to do this. I was in a safe place. The water should have never come to me. There was no flood. There was no hurricane. it just came out of the ground because of their end of the deal,” she said.
The SWBNO’s plans estimate it would cost $680 million to replace all the century-old water mains in the city.
MORE:Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans releases $2B water system ‘action plan’
Executive Director Randy Hayman has sought help from Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation to fund projects.
“I think we can never work fast enough. I mean, urgency is our middle name, actually. We have to be urgent in what we’re doing,” he said after a New Orleans City Council meeting on Wednesday (March 19).
Mayor Helena Moreno has also pitched various funding mechanisms, including the utility turning to bond funds.
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