NEW ORLEANS – The city says that two-person crews are working overtime to clean catch basins and drainage lines.
The Department of Public Works has two-person crews operating in three vacuum trucks to clean the basins as of Tuesday, the city announced. According to the city, the department’s two other vacuum trucks are undergoing repairs to fix a broken hose on one and engine power issues on the other.
The city says the department is working on a plan to increase its capacity to clean out the catch basins and drain lines.
The Department of Public Works cleans “an average of 5.60 catch basins per day per vacuum truck crew,” the city says.
Additionally, the Sewerage and Water Board is finalizing a contract with engineering firm, CH2M, to serve as the project manager to fix broken pumps and turbines. The firm is also supporting efforts to stabilize the power for generators and drainage pumping systems. A team of experts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is also assisting, the city says.
