In 1998, the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans entered into the Original Consent Decree with the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice, among other parties. This original version was modified in 2010 and modified a second time in 2013. On July 17, 2014, the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans entered a Third Modified Consent Decree.
Reports on Consent Decree progress are submitted to the EPA every quarter throughout the year, as well as annually. These reports summarize SWBNO’s actions and accomplishments concerning the Sewer Overflow Action Plan, remedial repairs and construction, preventive maintenance measures, unauthorized discharges, basin construction, private property sewer events, the Storm Sewer Monitoring Program, population data, cross connections, the Emergency Sewer System Assessment, green infrastructure investment, coordination with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, and coordinated efforts with the City of New Orleans.
The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans is, and has always been, in compliance with all requirements of every iteration of the Consent Decree since inception in 1998.