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NEW ORLEANS, LA - On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, the Council held a Joint Meeting of the Utility, Cable, Telecommunications, and Technology and Public Works, Sanitation, and Environment committees to meet with the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO).
During the meeting, SWBNO provided updates on various water main breaks, including Willow St. (Broadway to Calhoun), Magnolia/Jackson, and others. Regarding the water main break in the Audubon Blvd/Willow St. area, SWBNO acknowledged that water pressure remains low in many affected areas and noted that full service is expected to be restored no later than April 3. Committee members questioned why SWBNO did not prioritize the line earlier, and SWBNO members conceded that it deferred the matter in favor of other projects at the time. The discussion highlighted ongoing challenges in prioritizing and repairing leaks, with 74 water main issues across the system and no clearly defined public-facing criteria for sequencing repairs.
Committee members expressed serious concerns about the impact on residents, including ongoing low water pressure affecting facilities such as the New Orleans Public Library, and advocated for interim solutions.
Financial concerns were also a primary focus, as individual water main break repairs cost approximately $400,000 each. SWBNO is deducting these funds from the $3.6 million annual emergency budget.
Furthermore, Committee members raised concerns over the board's initiative to correct these concurrent water main breaks after the fact, rather than before. The Committee also recognized that a lack of emergency meetings and slow engagement with the Council compounded the issues further. SWBNO, in turn, stressed the importance of securing funding and progressing with long-term infrastructure replacement, given the system's age.
Following questions from the Committee, SWBNO reported progress on the Dwyer Canal issue, including identifying and repairing a broken pipe and ongoing cleaning efforts. However, residents continue to report severe odor concerns in the affected area.
To view SWBNO's full presentation, click here.
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