Sewerage and Water Board has put their EMD generators on line in anticipation of starting their turbines to run pumps should streets start to fill. With steady rain falling across the region Monday, S&WB is taking no chances and wants to make sure they have plenty of pumping power at the ready if needed. In the past this was only performed if a severe storm or hurricane was predicted. But with the recent failure of Turbine Four during an unexpected deluge last week, S&WB wants to be prepared for anything. According to the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate, it took upwards of 14-minutes to bring those generators on line. And, S&WB says it can take upwards of 30-minutes to have them fully ready to power pumps. S&WB maintains moderate flooding was already underway when Turbine Four went offline. The EMD's are located in trailers at the Carrollton Power Plant. The Water Board says they try to avoid running the diesel's as they can be loud and disruptive to area residents.
