New Orleans’ hurricane-hit water systems get restoration grants

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted an $11.2 grant to fund restoration works in hurricane-hit New Orleans, in the US state of Louisiana.

Chair of the Homeland Security Appropriations Sub-committee Mary L Landrieu said the funds will be used for repairs to some of the city’s main facilities including the New Orleans sewerage and water system.

"Restoring these roads and water systems to their original states, while also improving them to meet new standards will be beneficial to New Orleans residents and our city’s recovery as a whole," said Landrieu.

Of the $11.2m funds granted, $10m will be used by New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board for repairs to the water distribution system which was severely flooded when tropical storm Hurricane Katrina hit the city in 2005.

Repairs will include fixing 12,000 water pipeline leaks and pavement restoration as a result of excavations associated with the water line leak repair.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said, "These important recovery dollars will go to repairing the city of New Orleans’ water distribution system and support infrastructure that was substantially damaged following Hurricane Katrina."

The Port of New Orleans will also receive $1.2m to repair roads, demolish an existing warehouse and construct a new 4.3 acre marshalling yard.