With water management fresh on everyone’s mind after this week’s street flooding, a new coalition is forming to launch a public awareness campaign and remind New Orleanians that “Every Drop Makes a Difference.” Newell invited SWBNO Executive Director Ghassan Korban and Greater New Orleans Foundation President and CEO Andy Kopplin onto the program Friday afternoon to explain what it’s all about.
“When we talk about rainwater and all of the challenges we have with that, and how sometimes we get inordinate amounts of it - we need to recognize that this is water that belongs to all of us,” Newell began. “We need to optimize every single part of the system, including residents keeping their gutters clean.”“That’s absolutely right,” Korban said. “The Sewerage and Water Board has the biggest responsibility when it comes to draining and managing stormwater, and we don’t shy away from that responsibility. We will continue to invest in our equipment to satisfy that responsibility, but what this campaign is about is creating a partnership with our citizens and help them understand what role they can play to help us by doing small things around their property. Not just cleaning gutters, but also cleaning catch basins, purchasing rain barrels and the like. All these things will add up and help us capture water where it falls so it doesn't all go into the system and have to be pumped at a cost.”“Andy, the motivation of your organization to help fund this is obvious, but you guys have a lot on your plate right now,” Newell continued. “This must be an important issue.”“We’ve been working on this a number of years,” Kopplin said. “In fact, in 2014, a bunch of our constituents at the foundation who work on water issues went to Milwaukee and met Ghassan, and he was showing us how they manage water there, and that was the beginning of what brought him here. What’s really important about this campaign and our work is that we recognize there will be some days the rain is so intense, no matter how many pipes and pumps we have working, we won't be able to keep up. Because we are in this bowl, all the water has to be managed, every single drop. Rain barrels, planting trees and water gardens, diverting downspouts into the grass instead of the driveway… all these things can help residents keep themselves safe, as well as their neighbors and their city.”
“Do you intend to advocate for legislative changes before the Council as it relates to the building codes?” Newell continued.