JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — Conditions like those we experienced last Wednesday always beg the question, 'Are the pumps on?'
During a storm, the demand for information about our drainage systems is a top priority. A new tool could be on the horizon for Jefferson Parish residents to receive real-time information during flooding emergencies.
JP District 2 Councilman Deano Bonano is requesting that the parish's IT and drainage departments collaborate to create an online dashboard where residents can view pump status.
“We get so many calls from so many concerned citizens during a heavy rain event like we had last Wednesday, and they’re concerned their pumps not on," Bonano said, “Our site provides so much data that it would really confuse people to look at that so we’re going to simplify it just to be able to give you a snapshot of each pump and whether or not it’s on or not.”
The site would be similar to the Sewerage and Water Board's 'Pumping and Power Dashboard.'
It's a suggestion JP Director of Drainage Ben Lepine welcomes.
“We appreciate it. It’s always good feedback," Lepine said.
Wednesday, they tested the drainage system, but everything operated as it should. Lepine said all but two pumps that were undergoing scheduled maintenance were online.
“During the event, we had no issues. The pumps stayed on, and we continued pumping throughout the event to bring the canal levels back down," Lepine said.
Bonano said that data about pumps is already readily available, but it's not accessible to the public as of now. He hopes the website will be complete by the end of the hurricane season.
“I mean the information is there, it’s just creating a page. Now, I say that I’m not an IT person. So, someone in IT might be really mad at me right now, saying, ‘What is he talking about?’ But I would hope to have it done in at least 60-90 days," Bonano said.
The resolution to create the dashboard was adopted at Wednesday's Jefferson Parish council meeting.
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