U.S. Water News Online
NEW ORLEANS -- The amount of water pouring out of broken pipes, valves and hydrants in New Orleans is down by about half what it was immediately after Hurricane Katrina, but still adds up to 40 million to 50 million gallons a day.
Last fall, officials said about 100 million gallons of drinking water were leaking from pipes broken by trees uprooted by the storm.
More than 900 leaks on public property must still be repaired, and the Sewerage & Water Board will no longer cover the cost of leaks on private property, executive director Marcia St. Martin said.
She said more than 20,000 breaks have been repaired since the hurricane, which hit Aug. 29, 2005, and the board has absorbed the cost of more than $50 million in wasted water.
Residents who haven't been able to use their property can contest the sewerage part of the monthly bill, and can ask the city not to charge the monthly garbage collection fee.
St. Martin said water pressure is now stable, rather than dropping abruptly and without warning.
"If we had the entire community back today, we feel confident that we can support the entire community," she said.
Drinking water still hasn't been certified as safe in the northern half of the Lower Ninth Ward.
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