Sewerage and Water Board discusses power failures during Tropical Storm Arthur
The New Orleans City Council met Tuesday with the Sewerage and Water Board and Entergy to discuss the power failures during Tropical Storm Arthur.During Tropical Storm Arthur, the Sullivan Substation, a $300 million power facility at the Carrollton plant, went offline. This caused some pump stations to lose power.Councilmembers pressed Entergy and the Sewerage and Water Board for answers about which entity was responsible for the substation failure.Entergy explained that the substation never lost power, but a voltage sag that lasted 64 milliseconds impacted the equipment. An official said a voltage sag lasting less than a second is common, and should not cause equipment to turn off.According to the Sewerage and Water Board, a voltage sag also happened on May 20, and leaders were not informed. Randy Hayman, SWBNO executive director, said it was presented to him at the time as an anomaly with minimal impact.Going into Tropical Storm Arthur, the SWBNO had one backup turbine available but now says they have two. The Sewerage and Water Board and Entergy have hired a third-party electrical engineering company to look into the voltage sag issue and advise them on next steps.
The New Orleans City Council met Tuesday with the Sewerage and Water Board and Entergy to discuss the power failures during Tropical Storm Arthur.
During Tropical Storm Arthur, the Sullivan Substation, a $300 million power facility at the Carrollton plant, went offline. This caused some pump stations to lose power.
Councilmembers pressed Entergy and the Sewerage and Water Board for answers about which entity was responsible for the substation failure.
Entergy explained that the substation never lost power, but a voltage sag that lasted 64 milliseconds impacted the equipment. An official said a voltage sag lasting less than a second is common, and should not cause equipment to turn off.
According to the Sewerage and Water Board, a voltage sag also happened on May 20, and leaders were not informed. Randy Hayman, SWBNO executive director, said it was presented to him at the time as an anomaly with minimal impact.
Going into Tropical Storm Arthur, the SWBNO had one backup turbine available but now says they have two.
The Sewerage and Water Board and Entergy have hired a third-party electrical engineering company to look into the voltage sag issue and advise them on next steps.