NEW ORLEANS - As the Sewerage and Water Board tries to figure out what led to flooding in Mid-City Friday evening, Civil Engineer H.J. Bosworth with Levees.org says both the S&WB and the Department of Public Works need to figure out what's keeping the area from properly draining.
"They're two blocks away from the pump station. Typically, that would be the driest part of the areas around any pump station," H.J. Bosworth Jr. said.
Bosworth Jr. also says for way too long, the sub-surface drainage system in New Orleans has been long neglected.
"In order for a pump station to work, it has to be able to get water into its inlet basin. And if the inlet basins are dry, the pumps can't work," Bosworth Jr. said.
On Friday, pump station number 2, which covers Mid-City was fully functioning, according to the Sewerage and Water Board.
The city also saw water levels drop back down completely within an hour of the highest peak. But the question of whether drain lines are properly feeding into drainage pump 2 specifically needs to be examined.
Eyewitness News asked S&WB Communications Director Richard Rainey if a new major project, like the SELA Project in Uptown is a possible solution.
"I think all possibilities are on the table," Rainey said. "We obviously want to have a drainage system that protects the health and safety of all New Orleanians, so, I really don't think anything will be ruled out at this point. We're a lot closer than we were to August 5th. There's been a lot of improvements that've been made. A lot of assessments that've been made. It's just a matter of drilling down to find that one spot, if there is one," Rainey said.
These government projects take a long time to fund and get approved and to get under construction and get completed," Bosworth Jr. said.
Tuesday at 10:30 am, Mayor LaToya Cantrell will hold a press conference to update the public on the City's responsiveness and public safety preparedness in relation to weather events.