Here’s the key notes from the Sewerage and Water Board meeting that happened at 9 a.m. Wednesday:
- New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, the president of the Sewage and Water Board, attended the meeting and called it to start.
- Landrieu criticized the board’s minutes as “not robust enough. They’re too cryptic.”
- Executive Director Cedric Grant reiterates that diesel leak in 17th Street Canal did not come from Pumping Station No. 6. Leak was discovered late Tuesday night.
- Grant said two of the three turbines that are down are expected to be running in early September. Two of the five turbines at the main Sewerage and Water Board power plant are currently working. Turbine No. 5, which had an estimated date to be back online by Aug. 25, is now to be determined.
- One of the 17 downed drainage pumps was back online Tuesday night. Landrieu said that pump is located at Pumping Station No. 6 located on the 17th Street Canal.
- Landrieu says power remains a key issue until all turbines are back online.
- Landrieu says there are 60,000 catch basins in the city and 15,000 are challenged and as many as 3,700 require “extensive work.” Department of Public Works is working to release a strategy to address the issue “soon.”
- Board Member Alan Arnold was fired up about the slow progress of work. Landrieu responded by saying the backlog of work is overwhelming.
- Landrieu would later ask Arnold, who is considering stepping down, to wait and not leave S&WB without a quorum. With recent departures, the S&WB now has five vacancies.