Today, the Bureau of Governmental Research hosted its fourth and final Breakfast Briefing of the year. Our speaker was Ghassan Korban, Executive Director of the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans. Mr. Korban provided an update on the utility’s ongoing efforts to address infrastructure challenges, improve operations and billing, and develop plans for stronger water, sewer, and drainage systems for New Orleans. With the utility facing Tropical Storm Francine, he also provided a status update on the drainage pumps and staff preparations for the storm. Following Mr. Korban’s presentation, BGR’s President and CEO Rebecca Mowbray moderated the audience Q&A. This event was free to the public thanks to the generous sponsorship of:
Video Replay
The event covered a wide range of topics important to New Orleans residents and businesses. Click the links below to jump to those segments:
- The impact of the “Fair Share” deal to direct a portion of new tourism taxes and other funding for key infrastructure projects of the Sewerage & Water Board (16:30 – 17:58). BGR explores Fair Share funding further in a new analysis available here on our website.
- The major decrease in the backlog of unrepaired street cuts. (18:07-19:16)
- The problems associated with past attempts to implement of the utility’s billing software and smart meter program (22:55 – 24:08). The Sewerage & Water Board expects to complete the smart meter installation by the end of 2025.
- A newly funded program to replace lead water lines. (31:43-31:55 and 49:47-53:12)
- How 2025 will be a pivotal year for the utility with many projects, including the new Power Complex, scheduled for completion. (33:35-34:31)
- The Sewerage & Water Board’s plan to clean catch basins once it assumes this responsibility from the City of New Orleans in 2025 (34:59-37:49)
Click here to view Mr. Korban’s PowerPoint presentation.
Click here to read Mr. Korban’s bio.
