Press Releases

New Orleans, LA - In anticipation of this continued expected rainfall, the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) is notifying all customers that Turbine 4 is out of service, reducing SWBNO’s 25Hz power generation capacity to 51.5 MW. SWBNO teams and contractors have been engaged to address the issue.   

Turbine 4 is utilized only in situations with a high degree of confidence in location, volume, and timing of rainfall. It is not flexible to be used for ‘pop-up’ storms. 

Our drainage system is designed to pump one inch of rain during the first hour of rainfall, and an additional half inch of rain per hour thereafter. We continue to monitor the situation closely. Any intense rainfall exceeding our capacity may cause street flooding.

SWBNO advises all residents to stay weather aware by following @NOLAReady for updates or text NOLAREADY to 77295 for text updates. For the latest information on SWBNO’s pumping and power status, visit our Pumping and Power Dashboard. 

Current Equipment Status as of April 22, 2025

Pumping Status:

Major Drainage Pumps: 89 of 93 Major Drainage Pumps Available For Use

• DPS 13 near Tall Timbers Algiers: No. 4 Pump on standby for emergency use only.
  • 5 additional drainage pumps available at this station + one constant duty pump
• DPS 14 at Hayne Blvd and Jahncke Rd: No. 3 Pump out of service due to mechanical repairs
  • 3 additional drainage pumps available at this station
  • Drainage in this area can be addressed via DPS 10, DPS 16 and DPS Dwyer via the Morrison Canal
• DPS 15 near Intracoastal Waterway and Industrial Pkwy: No. 1 Pump out of service due to repairs to a gearbox.
  • 2 additional drainage pumps available at this station
• DPS 18 near Maxent Canal and Michoud Bayou: No. 1 Pump out of service due to mechanical repairs. A portable pump has been installed to provide temporary pumping capacity as needed.
  • 1 additional drainage pump available at this station

Drainage Pumping Stations that utilize solely 25Hz power are 2, 3 and 12. Stations that use both 25 Hz and 60 Hz power are 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Underpass Stations:
At Old Carrollton Underpass Station, 2 out of 3 pumps are out of service. There is one additional pump available. A temporary pump has been deployed.

All other underpass pumps are in service.

Click here for an overview and an interactive map of our drainage system.
 

Power Status:
Turbine 5 is online.

Turbine 6 is available for use.

Turbine 4 out of service due to a mechanical issue.

EMDs #1, #2 #3 #4 and #5 are in service. 

Frequency Changer #1 at Carrollton Frequency Changer Facility is available for use.

Frequency Changer #2 at Carrollton Frequency Changer Facility is available for use.

Frequency Changers #3 and #4 at Station D are available for use.

• Plant Frequency Changer at Carrollton Water Plant is out of service and will be decommissioned at the end of 2023. This Frequency Changer is not used for drainage pumping. 

Frequency Changer #3 at Algiers Water Treatment Facility is available for use.

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