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New Orleans Sewer System Evaluation and Rehabilitation Program

Driven by an environmental protection agency (EPA) consent decree and an ailing wastewater collection system, the City of New Orleans embarked on the Sewer System Evaluation and Rehabilitation Program (SSERP) in the spring of 1996.

As program manager, we have provided quality control inspections and evaluations for two water treatment plants (totaling 220 mega gallons per day), two sludge processing plants, 83 pump stations, and well over 1,300 miles of sewers¡ª without missing a single EPA-mandated milestone.

Major elements of the program included a comprehensive evaluation of the existing wastewater collection system, development of cost-effective rehabilitative solutions, and design and construction management of recommended solutions. One of the key projects was a sewer forcemain evaluation of the 60-inch and 72-inch lines going to the East Bank Wastewater Treatment Plant. Core samples were taken of the lines, ground conditions were analyzed for corrosive conditions, and hoop stress and deflection failure mechanisms were considered. Our team's work on this assignment resulted in EPA requiring no further improvements to the force mains.

During this program, the our team has met all original and modified consent decree milestones (561) on schedule, used the rehabilitation decision support system to realize $12 million design cost savings, and assisted in the application process to obtain $65.5 million in grant funding.