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This article is provided by the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Department.
With stronger and more frequent storms predicted to hit New Orleans, the Sewerage Department is focused on modernizing its infrastructure and technology. SWBNO has also undergone a major cultural shift over the past few years, with both new and long-time employees embracing innovation with a public service mindset.
“We are seeing exciting changes coming to our board of directors,” said Rebecca Johnsey, PE, SWBNO's engineering department manager, who has been with the utility for more than eight years. “We are proud to have initiated legacy projects such as the smart meter program, power complex, backflow prevention and lead pipe replacement program. These efforts will improve operations and efficiencies while also enhancing the customer experience. We are now laying the foundation for the next 50 years of success.”
Rebecca Johnsey, Senior Engineering Manager, PE, PMap – 8 years with the company, dedicated to the smart meter program
Photo provided.
Jonesy has played a key role at the utility company in terms of working with senior management on these legacy projects to enhance cross-departmental workflow. At the start of the smart meter project, Jonesy led the project and facilitated cross-collaboration between the smart meter vendor, meter shop, meter reading team, billing, customer service etc. to ensure a seamless transition.
“We are breaking down silos between departments and cross-training employees to ensure they recognize and understand how much of an impact their individual work has on our utility business and our customers overall,” Executive Director Ghassan Corban said.
The smart meter program is one that many SWBNO employees are excited about because of its focus on customer experience and continuity of service. The new automated meters provide customers with continuous feedback on their water usage, allowing them to quickly address costly leaks and avoid unexpected bills. More than 40,000 new automated meters have been installed, with SWBNO on track to install half of them by early 2025.
In addition to more accurate water billing, a new customer portal that will provide 24/7 access to water usage information and water budgeting tools is also in development. Beta testing of the portal has begun, and SWBNO expects the system to go live in fall 2024. Continuous improvements will be made based on customer feedback.
SWBNO’s smart meter program will replace the city’s 140,000 old water meters with new smart meters, allowing customers to track their water usage in real time.
Photo provided.
Like Jonesy, many other SWBNO employees are inspired by the changes being made and the legacy projects they are working on.
“SWBNO is making great strides in modernizing our infrastructure. The installation of the Claiborne and Panola water towers marks the first step and paves the way for several exciting technology enhancement projects,” said Felicia Bergeron, PE, PMP.
Bergeron serves as the program manager for the Lead Plumbing Replacement Program and has been on the commission for over 13 years. The long-term goal of the program is to remove lead plumbing from the entire New Orleans area. Although this is a multi-year effort, removing lead and raising public awareness will improve public health in the long run.
“In a 300-year-old city like New Orleans, it's easy to get caught up in history, but by modernizing our technology, we can prepare for the future,” Bergeron said.
Felicia Bergeron, PE Senior Principal Engineer – 13 years with the company, Program Manager for the Lead Pipe Replacement Program
Photo provided.
Both Bergeron and Jonesy pointed to a new generating facility being built at the Carrollton Pump Station as a key part of preparing for New Orleans' future. SWBNO has produced its own electricity up until now, but getting power from the Entergy grid will be more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. The facility will convert Entergy's 60 Hz power to 25 Hz, allowing the pumps, which are more than 100 years old, to function.
The FEMA-funded Carrollton Plant water towers have also improved the situation for the City of New Orleans since their completion in 2018 and 2019. Each tower can store approximately 2 million gallons of water, providing 40 minutes of drinking water in the event of a water main burst or low water pressure, allowing SWBNO time to act. Since the towers' completion, there has been only one major boil advisory compared to seven East Bank precautionary advisories between 2010 and 2018.
With further improvements planned, innovation is at the forefront of employees' minds.Ernest Smith, zone manager for SWBNO's network division, sees SWBNO as an apprenticeship programme.
“When you view this utility as an effective learning tool, it's a game changer,” says Smith. “If you have a civil servant's heart and a willingness to learn, you can learn a tremendous amount. If employees have vision, they can take advantage of the new learning opportunities available to them, gain valuable experience, and get promoted.”
Ernest Smith, SWBNO Network Zone 2 Manager. Smith joined the utility in 1994 as part of the mowing team, responsible for maintaining drainage channels.
Photo provided.
Smith began working for the commission in 1994 as a laborer in the grounds maintenance department, and when he began his career with SWBNO, his job was as part of a team responsible for mowing the city’s drainage channels.
During this time, he earned his commercial driver's license (CDL) and transferred to the support services department, working in SWBNO's two warehouses. An engineer on the board recognized his ambition and began teaching Smith the software system that supports the daily repair schedules for SWBNO's network department.
“What I did was gain knowledge from other departments that I was interested in. There are a lot of opportunities on the board,” Smith said. “As I was mowing, I started asking questions like: What is a network department? What does support services do? That's what I did every day, and my passion to learn and serve was recognized and rewarded.”
In 2000, Smith moved from the Support Services division into the Network division. In 2017, he applied for and was hired as a Network Zone Manager, a position he proudly holds today.
As he enters his seventh year as executive director, Ghassan Corban emphasizes that the shift to a culture that embraces change is a team effort: “It's not just the leadership team, everyone has to buy into the vision of how we want to grow and progress,” he said.
Improvements to the drainage system, infrastructure and employee training position SWBNO to better serve New Orleans now and for decades to come. “We know we have much greater capacity in terms of water storage, transportation and pumping, and we know we’re moving toward a more durable, reliable and sustainable source of power,” he said. “The reason we’re making these investments now is because we’re making them for our grandchildren.”
For more information about ongoing projects at SWBNO, visit www.swbno.org
