The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans should manage all of the city’s drainage, not just some of it. That’s one of the recommendations in a new report about how to improve drainage in the city.
After major flooding in the summer of 2017, the Louisiana legislature required New Orleans to appoint a special task force to reexamine how drainage is handled in the city. The collection of city officials, deemed the Sewerage and Water Board Task Force, researched options, held public meetings, and typed up a report full of their recommendations. That report was submitted to the state legislature on Monday.
In the report, the task force recommends combing the Sewerage and Water Board (SWB) and Department of Public Works (DPW) under one roof.
Those agencies currently split drainage responsibilities: the Sewerage and Water Board handles pump stations and pipes over 36 inches in diameter, and Public Works takes care of the small pipes. Many have criticized that arrangement as confusing and inefficient.
The report also says the SWB needs to raise more money, and recommends creating a new stormwater fee based on how much water runs into the street from individual properties.
The task force has no power to implement any of these ideas, so it’s now up to the city, state, and the SWB to make any changes.
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