From Nola:
A long-awaited report sizing up the post-storm condition of New Orleans’ water, wastewater and drainage systems said it will take $5.7 billion to repair the massive infrastructure systems — much of which the Sewerage & Water Board has no idea how it will finance.
The 92-page report by management consultant Black & Veatch, delivered Wednesday to board directors, offers the most comprehensive picture to date of the massive task of rebuilding the city’s winding web of pipes, pumps and canals, a job consultants estimate will take 25 years.
It also includes a detailed request for additional money from the Louisiana Recovery Authority to cover a gap of nearly $1 billion between estimated near-term repair costs and federal rebuilding aid that has already been approved.
—————–
It seems that we, as a nation, are going to let New Orleans and the Gulf Coast wallow in their misery. Funding for this huge project is coming from where? Federal government can’t even do the simple things.
No, the nation is going to get New Orleans up and running. Why? Mardi Gras and money. The remainder of the Gulf Coast…they’ll let that wallow in misery. The Parishes west of Jefferson don’t generate enough money or have enough people to even warrant a news report. Those are the people that are suffering. I personally know of a family in Vermillion that has been waiting for a FEMA trailer for months. They are living in their church because their old trailer is so full of mold and mildew.
[…] Next Verse, Same As The First Rains Flood New Orleans Streets – washingtonpost.com “Unbelievable,” said Pamela Borne, who waded in knee-high water with her daughter on her back to get to her house. “It’s very disappointing, that just with an overnight rain of this magnitude, that the city is so ill-prepared.” Joy of water. Lex got trapped at Tulane and I was at home surrounded by a 3-4 foot moat. Good thing this data floats, isn’t it? […]
JT, I hope you are right BUT, I think only the French Quarter and some sections of downtown will be focused on by our government. You are 100% correct about the folks on the coast. I have blogged on the lack of attention and resources going to them on a number of occasions.