New Orleans' Newest Problem: Water

Beneath Devastated City, 3,200-Mile System Of Water And Sewer Lines Is Crumbling

(AP)  S&WB is acting to raise money on its own, proposing a phased-in increase in water rates that would bring in about $100 million over four years and cause some customers' bills to rise by 80 percent.

Some business owners and residents, burdened since Katrina by higher costs for insurance, electricity and housing, are fighting the proposed increase.

"As long as you can turn the water on and take a bath and flush toilets, people are happy," S&WB general superintendent Joseph Sullivan said.

When Katrina struck on Aug. 29, 2005, 80 percent of New Orleans was inundated. The surge of water caused water, sewer and drainage lines below the streets to shift, loosening joints and causing countless breaks. The salt water also began corroding the steel pipes.

In addition, vibrations from the heavy construction equipment that has been rumbling over New Orleans' cracked and uneven streets since the catastrophe have damaged the pipes even further.

Fixing them will be not only costly but complex, given the miles and miles of underground plumbing. And it will almost certainly require the tearing up of streets throughout the city.

In the 1990s, the sewer system was deemed so poorly maintained that the EPA ordered what amounted to roughly $650 million in improvements. The city was working on that project when Katrina dealt the entire system a setback. The original 2010 deadline is no longer considered feasible.

For much of this year, just two of the three pumps that draw water from the Mississippi River for purification at the city's east bank plant were operating. Officials worried that if one pump failed and water pressure fell sharply, contaminants could enter the drinking water.

To keep the pressure high and offset the water losses, S&WB has been producing more water a day than it was before Katrina, officials say.

The system has been getting by on what S&WB executive director Marcia St. Martin called "day-to-day little miracles."

"At this point now, we're out of options," deputy general superintendent Joe Becker said. "We're struggling to meet costs for chemicals, struggling to meet costs to pay employees. We're putting off maintenance activities that are needed. It's a matter of time before that lack of maintenance will result in failures, and we don't have the equipment to back that up."

[infidel_us]

Now, it will truly be come the "Chocolate City" that Nagin envisioned.
LOL...................
Posted by WheelsUp1 at 11:10 AM : Aug 07, 2007

ROFL!!!! Baby Ruth bars floating past City Hall....

Guess Nagin's attempt to secure foreign aid fell thru. Since Paris is it's sister city, perhaps the French could come over and show them how to fix the problem.

[arealtexan]

Since the city is below sea level and the level of Lake Ponchatrain, perhaps they could drain the lake into the city of New Orleans, then build the city where the lake used to be. Problem solved!!
Posted by Dublecros at 11:51 AM : Aug 07, 2007

Best idea I've heard in awhile.

[Dublecros]

Since the city is below sea level and the level of Lake Ponchatrain, perhaps they could drain the lake into the city of New Orleans, then build the city where the lake used to be. Problem solved!!

[arealtexan]

New Orleans has always been a disaster waiting to happen. The city should be closed off and turned into a national park and the people relocated to the other side of the Ponchatrain.

[wheelsup1]

Now, it will truly be come the "Chocolate City" that Nagin envisioned.
LOL...................

[bthrasher102]

The federal government should never be responsible for keeping up a city's infrastructure. If the city is that negligent it needs new leadership. What's the city been doing with its property tax revenue for the last 50 years?

[bombadil4]

Blame can no doubt be spread far and wide but the bottom line is this: Earlier generations had the vision and the determination to build a wonderful infrastructure for this country. No doubt they assumed we would have the common sense to preserve and upgrade it for the coming generations.. Whether it's New Orleans, the crippled airline and railroad industries, bridge collapses,neglected parks and museums, highway gridlock, etc. it's obvious we have failed miserably in that trust. And of course the billions of dollars that would be neccesary for this work have floated away into a tragic moronic war and into the hands of giant corporations and their lackey politicians. Our moment may have passed.

[rushlimpdrug]

So how do you explain anything that happend prior to that date?
Oh yea, the lib way, ignore it until a Republican takes office.
Posted by janem4

Waaa! Waaa! Waaa! Waaa! Waaa! Stop making fun of bush.
janem4 -what a cry baby you are.
On the bush watch:
1. Terrorists strike NY;
2. N.O. isn't near being fixed in 2 yrs;
3. Bridges collapse;
4. Superman can't be found;
5. janem4 won't let bush grow up

[bkylws]

Sounds to me like Mother Nature is trying to tell us something here. Raw sewage? GROSS! I say use the money to help relocate the people still living there and just make what's left a shipyard. It may be cheaper that way.

[drinuk]

They will leave it a couple more years, keep releasing and dripping bad news like this, then finally bulldoze it, leaving the old town only as a tourist attraction. The rest of it is history.

Maybe they should just all leave New Orleans, move to higher ground, much cheaper.

[me4prezz]

Sheesh. They forgot to mention that Bush will get around to fixing America's, specifically New Orleans, water problems after we finish setting up clean and pure drinking water for Iraq. Goodness people!! Get it straight!!!

Why should we matter more than Iraq? Goodness...

(Please read this with pure sarcasm...)

[micma-2009]

The truth is, our infrastructure is failing across the country. Meanwhile we're spending a trillion dollars to rebuild Iraq.

[ioweign]

New Orleans is not the only place with that problem!

[lewiston14]

No matter how big it was. No matter how great it once was. No matter how much history it had or has. It's not a good idea to live under sea level. I have a feeling thats why nobody is in any hurry to rebuild it. That coupled with the people that ONCE lived there who did not come back. Tells you alot about the general feelings of how it once was and how people want it to be now. It got out of control as so many other cities are getting out of control. Sorry nicest way I could write it. Their gone and nobody wants them back.

[vancouverboo]

If you're still in that city, get out now before it's too, too late.

[micma-2009]

Why are we spending a trillion dollars trying to rebuild a country that doesn't want us there when we still havn't seen Bush follow through on his promise to rebuild this great American city.