SWB New Orleans repairs Turbine 4, can now generate more than enough power

The New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board today announced it has repaired Turbine 4 and brought it back online. It adds to the drainage agency's ability to pump stormwater off of city streets.

If all pumps are needed at full capacity, the demand on the power system is 44 megawatts. With Turbine 4 back online, the Sewerage & Water Board says it can generate more than 67 megawatts.

The city currently has 90 of its 99 pumps operational.

While this gives the pumping system more power than needed, SWBNO warns that "Turbine 4 remains a fragile source of power." It said any operations will be closely monitored, and the agency will notify the public if there is a change in status.

In the meantime, the board says they are "diligently working toward completing the Power Complex, which will allow us to retire our aging turbines and replace them with more reliable and efficient power sources."

The Sewerage & Water Board has also set up a "Pumping and Power" web dashboard where people can check for the latest updates.