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Task Force Says SWB Should Oversee All New Orleans Drainage, Not Just Some

Travis Lux
/
WWNO
Tyler Antrup presents some of the SWB Task Force research to residents at a public meeting at the Mid-City Library in November 2018.

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.

 

Support for the Coastal Desk comes from the Walton Family Foundation, the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the Foundation for Louisiana, and local listeners.

As Coastal Reporter, Travis Lux covers flood protection, coastal restoration, infrastructure, the energy and seafood industries, and the environment. In this role he's reported on everything from pipeline protests in the Atchafalaya swamp, to how shrimpers cope with low prices. He had a big hand in producing the series, New Orleans: Ready Or Not?, which examined how prepared New Orleans is for a future with more extreme weather. In 2017, Travis co-produced two episodes of TriPod: New Orleans at 300 examining New Orleans' historic efforts at flood protection. One episode, NOLA vs Nature: The Other Biggest Flood in New Orleans History, was recognized with awards from the Public Radio News Directors and the New Orleans Press Club. His stories often find a wider audience on national programs, too, like NPR's Morning Edition, WBUR's Here and Now, and WHYY's The Pulse.

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