Sewerage & Water Board Of New Orleans Community & Intergovernmental Relations Department 625 St. Joseph Street, Room B-47 New Orleans, Louisiana 70165 504-585-2175
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June, 2001
Rollout of New Equipment, Tours, Exhibits Featured by S&WB During Public Works Week

Introduced to the public for the first time was a new three-person crew truck, smaller than others in the fleet, but fully equipped for a number of emergency or planned repairs.

Also shown for the first time was a new, smaller and more versatile excavator which can be brought to work sites attached to crew trucks, eliminating wait time for delivery of larger excavators by bigger trucks or on flatbeds.

The equipment, along with the streamlining of the Board's Networks Division, is part of a year-old program to improve performance and efficiency in repairing water and sewerage system leaks which have increased yearly due to age and increased subsidence from three years of drought.

Also featured at the event were public tours of a sewerage pumping station and exhibits of high-tech repair equipment and a state-of-the-art computerized operating system.

Harold Gorman, S&WB executive director, said, "We are pleased to be a part of the American Public Works Association's efforts to familiarize customers with the importance of public works in building, repairing and maintaining our infrastructure. Our situation in New Orleans poses many challenges because of its age, instability of our soils and subsidence."

"Public works employees and projects contribute greatly to the health and well-being of citizens, help protect the environment and help improve the economy," he added.
The S&WB is a member of the local and national APWA.