NEW ORLEANS — When it rains it pours in New Orleans and when it pours, often times city streets flood.
Historically, the Sewerage and Water Board was responsible for drainage canals, large pipes and pumps while the city Department of Public Works maintained 72,000 catch basins and the smaller drainage pipes.
Louisiana lawmakers recently voted to make SWBNO which is a state board, responsible for all of the city’s drainage operations.
Mayor Latoya Cantrell gave an update on the consolidation at this week’s board meeting.
“The current projected timeline for the Sewerage and Water Board taking over in terms of our drainage consolidation is at the year's end,” Cantrell said.
The new law did not specify who would pay for the consolidation.
The only source of funding identified so far is money from the city's red light camera fines.
“The way the bill is constructed right now as I read it is Sewerage and Water Board would be entitled to every dollar except for things that happen during school zone hours,” City Council Budget Chair Joe Giarrusso said.
The water board is asking for a minimum of $30 million a year to take over the city’s drainage responsibilities.
Councilman Giarrusso says red light cameras bring in anywhere from $5 million to $13 million a year.
He says the council is reluctant to give SWBNO more money all at once.
“We need to make sure if we’re allocating money to a state entity that we know where it’s going and how’s it working, what kind of results the residents see.”
The water board is also floating the idea of a new stormwater drainage fee.
That’s not a popular idea with customers like Tracy Alonzo at Orleans Sheet Metal.
She says not only has her business flooded several times in recent years, but the utility’s billing system also is a mess.
“I just can’t imagine they can just apply another fee when they can’t get the bills as it is straight at all,” Alonzo said.
Giarrusso agrees.
“I’ve been clear, and I think my colleagues have been clear, the fee is pretty much off the table until billing is fixed,” Giarrusso said.
The drainage consolidation will also include the transfer of equipment and potential personnel from the city. That will also have to be worked out before the end of the year.
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