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The Sewerage and Water Board consists of three main operating systems: sewerage, water, and drainage. The Board was created in 1899 to establish a water and sewerage system for the city; in 1903, the board was assigned responsibility for completing a drainage system. State law requires that the three systems operate as separate cost centers, each having dedicated revenue sources that may be used only within that system. The net revenue after operating expenditures is available for debt service and capital improvements, but only for that particular system.

Water System

Operations

The S&WB treats 143 million gallons of Mississippi River water daily through its two treatment plants – the Carrollton Water Treatment Plant for the Eastbank and the Algiers Water Treatment Plant for the Westbank. The quality of finished water and river water is tested daily by an in-house water quality laboratory.

The water system is funded by user fees set by the S&WB, and subject to City Council ratification. Fees are based on the size of the meter and the amount of water used. The S&WB has the authority for a 12% water rate increase (approved by the City Council in the early 1980's) that has not yet been implemented. The water system also receives a minor amount of revenues from the state, interest, and other various fees. By statute, the S&WB must provide free service to a number of political entities and projects including the Office of the Criminal Sheriff and the City of New Orleans.

New Orleans' sanitary sewer system consists of 1450 miles of lateral and trunk sewers. The system requires 82 electrically operated pumping and lift stations. All but three stations are automatically operated with no attendance other than maintenance checks. Sewer Stations A,D (both on the Eastbank) and C (on Westbank) are large attended stations. The pump stations transfer sewage to two treatment plants operated by a private company under contract to the S&WB. The larger sewage treatment plant is on the Eastbank and the smaller plant is on the Westbank in Algiers.

The sewerage system is funded primarily by user fees set by the S&WB, subject to City Council ratification. Charges are determined by the size of the water service meter and a quantity charge multiplied by 85% of water use. In March 2000 the rate was increased by 30%. A minor amount of revenues are also received from the state, interest, and other fees. To a limited extent, federal funding supplements local sources for sewer system capital improvements.

The city's unique distinction as the only major U.S. city below sea level requires an extensive drainage collection and pumping system. The drainage system can currently remove roughly one-inch of rainfall in the first hour, and an additional half-inch per hour after that. The network consists of approximately 90 miles of open canals and 90 miles of subsurface canals. Most rainwater is pumped into Lake Pontchartrain except for two Westbank pumping stations and two stations in Eastern New Orleans that pump rainwater into the Intercoastal Waterway and the Industrial Canal. Within New Orleans there are 22 Drainage Pumping Stations with station personnel on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are 13 underpass stations containing 2-3 pumps turned on by rising water. The pumps are checked everyday and monitored during rain events. Two underpass stations, (one on the Westbank and the other on the Eastbank), are not run by the S&WB but by the State Department of Transportation and Development. The S&WB operates its own power plant and underground electrical distribution system to provide electricity for many of the pumps.

The drainage system is funded by a property tax (currently at 22.59 mills per year), as well as interest and other minor sources. Federal funding for drainage capacity improvements supplements local funds in the S&WB capital budget.

Sources
http:// swbnola.org, Sewage and Water Board Web Page
BGR February 1999 Orleans Outlook, The Sewerage & Water Board's Fee Proposal
BGR April 2000 Orleans Outlook, Privatization of Sewerage and Water Board Operations