The St. Charles Parish Waterworks Department expects to complete over $3 million in repairs to the East Bank Water Intake by June.
A stray barge struck the intake platform during Hurricane Ida and caused major damage. The repairs include a hardened infrastructure, which the department hopes will promote longevity of the platform and allow it to better withstand future storms and hazards. The new intake has dolphins, or barriers, in the river to block any damage from boats, barges or other vessels, according to Greg Gorden, director of St. Charles Parish Waterworks Department.
“The pumps and electrical equipment have also been moved to the land side of the structure to protect those critical components from hazards in the river,” Gorden said.
The total cost of the project is $3,185,675.
The Waterworks Department is also upgrading the existing water main that runs the length of the Bonnet Carre Spillway from 6 inches in diameter to 8 inches. At its last meeting, the Parish Council approved the contract for the Phase 3 Water Line Replacement in the Spillway.
“The old line had segments of pipe and iron fittings, but the new line is larger in diameter and made of one run of pipe,” Gorden said. “This is especially important in the Spillway since the Spillway is submerged at times, and the iron fittings sometimes broke apart as the water levels changed.”
Gorden said the Waterworks Department wanted a run of continuous pipe with no fittings to make the line more reliable and durable.
“Our Waterworks staff did the initial work on this replacement in-house, and the contractor will complete this project, which will minimize project costs,” he said.
The projected cost of the project is $371,000.
