NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board announced it will undertake more than 160 projects to modernize aging and storm-damaged sewer pipelines throughout the city.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell, SWBNO Executive Director Ghassan Korban and other local leaders were expected to meet with Radhika Fox, U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator for Water at the Carrollton water plant Tuesday morning.
They were expected to announce EPA’s latest Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the utility. The amount of the loan is $275 million.
According to a statement from SWBNO, the projects will vastly improve the city’s sewer system infrastructure to help protect nearby waterbodies, prevent breaks and leaks in sewer lines, reduce flood risk, and help maintain existing infrastructure during wet weather events. They are also expected to help protect historically disadvantaged communities from the impacts of climate change.
The WIFIA loan is expected to save the Sewerage and Water Board approximately $100 million.
The total project cost is about $561 million.
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