Client: City of New Orleans
Completion Date: N/A
In late May 2006, GEC, Inc., was commissioned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District to perform a conceptual design for the permanent drainage pump stations to be located at the mouth of the three primary drainage canals in New Orleans to Lake Pontchartrain. The purpose of these pump stations would be to pump storm water out of the City during design hurricane surge conditions in the Lake. The floodwalls in each of these canals, the 17th Street, Orleans Avenue and London Avenue canals, collapsed during Hurricane Katrina causing significant flooding and damage to the City. Therefore, the permanent pump stations need to be designed to keep a surge in the Lake from entering the canals as well as being able to discharge storm water in the City into the Lake when the Lake is at elevated levels.
The GEC Public Works Group and GIS Group with the assistance of subconsultant, Black & Veatch Corporation, performed a conceptual study within 60 days to determine alternatives for “the where, what and how” the pump stations should be arranged to most effectively meet the drainage and flood protection needs of the City. Hydraulic studies, maps and design plan layouts were prepared for the alternatives. Cost estimates were performed by GEC for each alternative conceptual design. The estimated costs varied from $500 million to $1.5 billion for the various alternatives, and the public stakeholders will be able to informatively select the best alternative for New Orleans and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a timely manner.
