New Orleans Public Works Committee Meeting on Water, Sewer, and Sanitation Contracts - April 14, 2026
New Orleans Public Works Committee Meeting on Water, Sewer, and Sanitation Contracts - April 14, 2026
The Committee on Public Works, Sanitation, and the Environment met on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at approximately 1:00 PM. The meeting included a comprehensive monthly operational update from the Sewage and Water Board, discussions on water main repairs, lead service line replacement, sewer issues in the Dwyer Canal, and a major sanitation contract amendment for the French Quarter and Downtown Development District. Public comments were heard, and multiple actions were taken.
Consent Calendar
- Adoption of the minutes from the March 10, 2026, meeting and the joint utilities committee meeting on March 18, 2026. Approved unanimously with no nays.
Sewage and Water Board Monthly Operational Update
- Water System: General Superintendent Caitlin Timmerick reported completion of 30-inch valve replacements at Spruce/Carrollton and Magnolia/Cades, repair of the 20-inch water main at Burgundy and Deslonde in the Lower Ninth Ward, and ongoing work on the 48-inch main at South Claiborne and Third Street, which may take several months. The immediate action plan includes condition assessments, an RFI for emerging technologies, and development of near-term priorities.
- Lead Service Line Replacement: An additional $66 million loan is in closing from the LDH state revolving fund, bringing total allocated to Orleans Parish to $1.454 billion. Senate Bill 268 and Senate Bill 228 have been introduced to allow public funding on private property. CDM Smith was selected as program manager. Councilmembers urged targeted communication with households.
- Dwyer Canal Investigation: Sewer discharges into the canal have been investigated since December 2025. Smoke and dye testing identified seven defects on Galahad Street, with additional testing on other streets. Water quality samples from February through April showed fecal coliform levels ranging from non-detect to nearly 250 coliform units per 100 mL, with some decreases. Signs were posted at seven locations on April 13, 2026. Councilmember King expressed concern about the timeline and urged proactive public notification.
- Drainage System: Canal cleaning covers 66 miles of open canal (850 acres), currently cut about 3.5 times per year. Vegetation removal is needed and the board is exploring mechanical options. Drainage Pump Station 15 pipe replacement is underway, with crews installing new pipe to protect the Industrial Canal levee.
- Financial System Transition: A new cloud-based Oracle financial system went live on February 7, 2026, replacing a 37-year-old mainframe. Six of seven core modules are operational; budgeting goes live in June.
Public Comments & Testimony (on Item 4A)
- Multiple speakers strongly supported extending the Ivy Waste contract, citing dramatic improvements in French Quarter cleanliness, odor reduction, and professional service. Speakers included residents, business owners, clergy, and representatives from the Lakeshore Property Owners Association and the Patio Planters of Vieux Carré. Some speakers raised concerns about transparency and the contract process, including Chris Lang, who noted discrepancies between the March 26 and April 9 versions of the amendment and questioned the lack of public scrutiny. Troy Henry (representing Rich's Disposal) argued the extension circumvents ongoing litigation and that the city should respect the judicial process. Sydney Torres, owner of Ivy Waste, thanked the council and emphasized no change in pricing except a standard CPI adjustment.
Discussion Items
- Item 4B – Amendment No. 6 to Mop McDonald LLC: This amendment extended the contract for engineering design and construction administration services for roadway improvements on Cantas Street by one year to allow billing for final design submittal. The cost was approximately $23,000. Adopted unanimously.
- Item 4A – Amendment No. 1 to Ivy Waste LLC: Director of Sanitation Matt Torrey presented the amendment to extend the contract for Area 5 (French Quarter and DDD) by three six-month options (18 months total), through December 22, 2027. The annual cost is approximately $6 million, with an estimated 4% CPI increase in 2027. He clarified that the contract maximum includes a 10% contingency for unplanned events. Councilmember King questioned the CPI adjustment and confirmed it applies to all sanitation contracts. Councilmembers discussed the contract's history, performance, and the need for transparency. Following public comment, a motion to adopt was made and seconded.
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar adopted unanimously.
- Amendment No. 6 (Mop McDonald) adopted unanimously.
- Amendment No. 1 (Ivy Waste) was moved and seconded; the committee approved it without objection and the meeting adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. We're ready for roll call. All right, good afternoon, everyone. We're gonna ask everybody to please take their seats. Today is Tuesday, April 14th. This is the committee on public works, sanitation, and the environment. Uh, I am gonna ask staff to please call the roll. Roll call. Councilmember Hughes. Here council member Willard, Councilmember McCarran. Here, Councilmember King, Councilmember Green. Here. We have four members. We have a quorum. Thank you so much. Um, ladies and gentlemen, just some housekeeping. If anybody is here for the city planning commission meeting, that meeting will take place at one thirty PM across the street at thirteen forty Pordress on the twenty first floor. City planning will not take place here. Um moving on with our agenda. Agenda item number two adoption of the minutes from the meeting on March tenth, and the joint utilities committee meeting on March eighteenth. Uh, move by Vice President Willard. Second by Councilmember McCarron. Please vote your machines. No nays, and that's adopted. Uh next up, agenda item number three sewage and water board presentation. Monthly operational update. Members, I'm gonna ask this. I'm gonna uh ask that we allow sewage and water board to get through their entire presentation, and then the floor will be open for questions. Mr. Executive Director. Yes, good afternoon. I have with me today, Gray Lewis, the Chief Financial Officer and Caitlin Timmerick, the general superintendent against Sierra Labot, head of our communications. On the agenda today, we have we're going to discuss the water system, water transmission mains, lead service line replacement. We'll discuss the sewer system, the Dwyer Canal update. We'll discuss the drainage system, DPS 15, pipe replacement and canal cleaning. And we'll also discuss the financial system transition that we're going through. With that, I will go ahead and hand it over to our general superintendent. Alright. Good afternoon, Council members. Please to present an update on the work related to the repairs to the high priority water mains. Since our last meeting, we have completed the 30-inch valve replacements at the corner of Spruce and Carrollton and Magnolia and Cades, as well as completed the repairs that were ongoing the last time we spoke at Magnolia and Jackson, as well as Magnolia and Phillip. Right before Easter, we were able to open some valves along this line that allowed us to boost pressure a bit in the CBD and the French quarter, which was which was great for that area. And as of today and continuing likely through tomorrow, we will be fully opening the new valves, which will allow us to fully uh return the entire 30-inch water main to service, which has been uh out of service since uh the breaks on Willow Street in uh early mid-March. So that will be the final the final step there. Uh we are still doing work in those areas though. We are have to rebuild the valve vaults for those large valves, which allows us to access them from above the ground in future scenarios. So the excavations, and there's still contractors will be working in those areas, uh likely over the next couple of weeks for before full restoration is complete in that in those areas, but the repairs have been completed. We're also really excited to have completed the 20-inch water main repair at the corner of Burgundian Des Lawn in the lower ninth ward. This had been a long-standing issue. Our crews were able to do this, and um the re the water main is repaired.
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