For Immediate Release: Tuesday, April 18, 2023 8:35 AM
NEW ORLEANS, LA — On Tuesday, April 18, the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO), along with city officials and local partners, cut the ribbon on the Bayou St. John Green Infrastructure (GI) Project, located at the corner of Norman C. Francis Parkway and Orleans Avenue. The site will add 55,800 gallons – about 1,100 bathtubs worth – of stormwater storage capacity to SWBNO’s drainage system.
The Bayou St. John GI Project is SWBNO’s 10th green infrastructure site and an important piece of a holistic, sustainable stormwater management strategy. While SWBNO proudly operates one of the largest stormwater pumping systems in the world, the system is not enough to mitigate flooding from the increasingly intense and more frequent storms New Orleans is and will likely continue to experience.
“We are one of the many vulnerable cities in the world facing impacts of climate change,” said Ghassan Korban, Executive Director of the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans. “Adapting our city to capture stormwater where it falls to relieve the pressure on our drainage system is the only way we can maintain our quality of life in the face of these imminent challenges.”
“I applaud Sewerage and Water Boards’ efforts to innovatively address stormwater issues our city faces,” said New Orleans City Councilmember Eugene J. Green. “Green infrastructure projects like this one are key to keeping our residents and their properties safe from heavy-rain events.”
The Sewerage and Water Board is actively working with federal, state, and local partners on improving the reliability of its gray infrastructure system and bolstering its ability to fully incorporate green infrastructure to protect New Orleans. SWBNO has allocated $2.5 million across 28 green infrastructure projects.
The Bayou St. John GI Project involved collaboration with various partners dedicated to enhancing the community. Guided by public input, the site was designed by Dana Brown & Associates, engineered by BKI, and constructed by RCI. Sustaining Our Urban Landscape (SOUL) installed cypress trees on the site, which the Entergy Corporation funded. For the next three years, Groundwork will maintain the Bayou St. John GI Project, and Adaptation Strategies will assist in monitoring the water quality of the stormwater collected on the site.
“We are thankful for the opportunity to partner with SWBNO on this project and create a green infrastructure site that can serve the community’s stormwater management needs while also providing recreational and educational value,” said Dana Brown of Dana Brown & Associates. “Considering community input collected through public workshops and New Orleans’ unique drainage challenges, our team carefully designed the Bayou St. John Green Infrastructure Project to maximize the natural topography for stormwater detention.”
The Bayou St. John Project incorporates four green infrastructure elements: a bio-retention cell, native trees planted in fiber soils, a flexible pervious pavement system, and permeable concrete pavers. These features are framed by a 150-foot wall that doubles as seating for visitors. In addition to expanding SWBNO’s draining capacity, the Bayou St. John GI Project will teach visitors about stormwater management.
SWBNO will continue expanding its green infrastructure projects to help keep New Orleans dry in a more sustainable way. SWBNO aims to educate the next generation about green infrastructure practices, an important piece of the puzzle as the city strives to live well with water.
Learn more about SWBNO’s green infrastructure plan at www.swbno.org/Projects/GreenInfrastructureOverview.