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New JP pump station capable of removing 9 inches of rain within 24 hours

The new pump station has the capability of removing 9 inches of rainfall within a 24 hour period.

HARAHAN -- The long anticipated "Pump to the River" program is online and draining parts of Jefferson Parish.

The new drainage system that sends rain runoff to the Mississippi River rather than Lake Pontchartrain addresses the chronic flooding problems in the Harahan, River Ridge and Elmwood areas.

"Water is going to sit in the streets until it catches up and it gets to the (Soniat) Canal where we can pull it," Jefferson Parish Councilman Paul Johnston said. "But, the purpose of the Pump To The River is to get the water out faster."

Long-time River Ridge residents are quick to tell you about flooding problems in their neighborhood.

Leo Orellana has lived on Diane Avenue there or more than 45 years.

"In 1995 we got two feet (of water) inside my house," Orellana said. "Then after Katrina we got it again."

Tammy Ducote has lived down the block from Orellana for 27 years. She says her house has flooded numerous times.

"Oh my God, before we raised the house, I would say about 20 times," Ducote said.

Monday, Jefferson Parish leaders and the Army Corps of Engineers cut the ribbon on the giant pumping station, crucial to the Pump to the River program.

It moves water out of the Soniat Canal through a series of discharge tubes, 2 miles to the Mississippi River.

Pump to the River replaces the old system of draining the area through a 7 mile network of canals into Lake Pontchartrain.

Jefferson Parish put the new system to the test on Saturday when more than 6 inches of rain fell in the area over a short period of time.

"I got calls this past weekend when their streets were flooding," Councilman Johnston said. "Yeah, the streets are flooding, but it's not in your house. Eventually the water is going to get out and it's getting out faster."

Local leaders admit it took some convincing to get the Army Corps of Engineers to build Pump to the River.

The Army Corps Commander in New Orleans, Col. Michael Clancy, said the Corps wanted to make sure levees along the river were protected.

"The change in philosophy is, I think technology based as much as anything," Col. Clancy said. "It takes fairly substantial pumps to lift the water up and over the levee. We don't want to allow anything in terms of pipes or plumbing to to go through or under the levee just because of the risk it would pose to the levees."

The new pump station has the capability of removing 9 inches of rainfall within a 24 hour period.

River Ridge neighbors are happy it's finally online.

"I've been looking forward to it for about 25 years now," Ducote said.

The price tag on Pump to the River was $180 million. It is part of the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Protection program known as SELA.

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