Status of Drainage Pump Station #6

 

                                                                                    May 11, 2006

 

Councilman John Jay Batt

Council District A

1300 Perdido Street

New Orleans, LA  70112

 

Dear Councilman Batt:

 

Over the previous 255 days since Hurricane Katrina, the Board of Directors of the Sewerage and Water Board and its staff has focused on restoring the water systems.

Our focus has been on all systems, Drinking Water, Sewerage, Drainage, as well as the Power System, which supports both the drinking water, and drainage systems. 

 

The purpose of this correspondence is to share with you the status; immediate and long-term plans for Drainage Pump Station # 6 located at 345 Orpheum Street, Metairie, Louisiana. Through a long term, agreement with Jefferson Parish the Board provides drainage services for 2,500 Acers of Jefferson Parish through DPS # 6. In order to best describe the current status and future plans for the station the following table was developed.

 

Drainage Pump Station # 6

           

System Capacity		Commercial Power		SWB Power
# Pumps	Capacity	# Pumps	Capacity	# Pumps	Capacity
15	9,480 cfs	6	3,200 cfs	9	6,280cfs

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHORT TERM – PUMP STATION MOTORS

 

Within hours following Hurricane Katrina, the Board immediately begins the process of drying and baking pump motors in order to be able to use the equipment to de-water the city once the CORPS of Engineers completed levee closures. Since August 29, 2005 the SWB Board of Directors has authorized over 60 million dollars of repair work to the pumping and electrical systems It was vital for the pumping equipment to be available for the fall, winter and spring rainfall. Because the majority of our equipment was submerged in salt water, it was critical that long-term repairs be scheduled. The Board staff issued several emergency contracts to begin the re-winding process while concurrently working with the CORPS technical staff and our congressional delegation to not only fund but also authorize the long-term repairs.