Nola Reporter

NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans and the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) will continue moving forward with their proposed saltwater mitigation projects for the Eastbank and Westbank, while identifying opportunities to improve cost-effectiveness and sustainability given the elongated timeline released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on Oct. 5.  

USACE’s new projections include the following timeline for saltwater impacts on SWBNO’s service area:  

• Algiers: Nov. 23 
• Carrollton: Chloride not expected to exceed 250 parts per million (ppm) 

“From day one, my main goal has been to make sure our drinking water is safe for our residents and businesses, and the key to doing that is to support the SWBNO in their efforts to secure the necessary resources,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “Public health is of the utmost importance, and we will continue to do everything in our power to allow SWBNO to do their job of providing an essential service to our residents. I would also like to thank our partners at the federal, state, and local level as we continue this unified effort to protect the people of Southeast Louisiana, and I encourage residents to stay informed as we monitor this developing situation.”  

“This is certainly welcome news for our utility and the customers we serve,” said Ron Spooner, SWBNO General Superintendent, at a press conference with USACE on Thursday, Oct. 5. “However, we intend to stay the course until this situation is completely resolved. I want to be clear that no plans are being cancelled – in fact, it’s quite the opposite.” 

See SWBNO’s new online saltwater dashboard to learn more about the utility’s next steps, which include:  

• Westbank: Moving forward with plans to barge fresh water from upriver and blend it at our Algiers intakes. With more time to prepare, SWBNO will rebid the Algiers project to include updated technical data and guidance the utility received from USACE.   
• Eastbank: A pipeline that would pump fresh water from about 12 miles upriver in Kenner, around River Mile 115, to the utility’s Eastbank intakes. USACE advised SWBNO the saltwater is not expected to reach this area due to a hydrogeologic feature in the river. Contractors have assured SWBNO they can deliver the pipeline within 30 days should the Army Corps' timeline shift in the coming weeks.  

“Our teams have worked diligently to develop viable options to lessen the potential impacts of saltwater intrusion,” said Ghassan Korban, SWBNO Executive Director. “I applaud our staff for their swift action and strategic planning efforts. I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to the City of New Orleans’ team, Mayor Cantrell and our state and federal partners who have supported us during this critical time.” 

SWBNO will also continue supporting St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes while the impacts of the saltwater wedge remain. 

• Plaquemines Parish: SWBNO is coordinating with Plaquemines Parish to supply water from SWBNO's Algiers Water Treatment Plant. SWBNO is also reviewing pricing for constructing a redundant line across the Algiers Forebay, which will allow for a more meaningful connection between SWBNO's Algiers Treatment Plant and Plaquemines Parish.  
• St. Bernard Parish: Support efforts are ongoing with St. Bernard Parish as they investigate options. SWBNO regularly communicates with St. Bernard to understand the parish's needs and potentially share SWBNO's water supply by connecting to St. Bernard's system at Jackson Barracks.

The City of New Orleans and SWBNO are working with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to ensure expenses incurred locally are eligible for reimbursement. The City and SWBNO anticipate the money spent to lessen saltwater intrusion impacts will be covered by emergency funding and not passed on to SWBNO ratepayers.  

The City and SWBNO continues their efforts to protect public health while being the best possible stewards of public funds. The utility will continue providing daily salinity reports in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) on SWBNO’s website ( swbno.org/News/SaltwaterWedge ) and social media accounts. SWBNO is committed to keeping its customers informed throughout the duration of this event. For regional updates on the saltwater wedge and associated timeline, visit  gohsep.la.gov/emergency/Saltwater.  

Residents are also encouraged to sign up for NOLA Ready text alerts by texting NOLAREADY to 77295.  

Original source can be found here.