Sewer System Evaluation and Rehabilitation Program

Due to a Consent Decree from the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Dept. of Justice (DOJ), the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (S&WB) executed the comprehensive Sewer System Evaluation and Rehabilitation Program (SSERP), to evaluate and rehabilitate their sanitary sewerage system.

Trigon served as a subconsultant to the program manager. Trigon’s principals previously served in key technical and management roles on this large program for over 12 years, since its inception in 1996, including roles such as Program Manager, Deputy Program Manager, Planning Manager, Design Manager, Construction Manager, Project Manager and Project Engineer, with a previous employer. This included actively participating in consent decree negotiations (1997/98) as well as negotiations of a modified consent decree (2007/08) due to recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina.

The S&WB’s program manager is responsible for all phases of the SSERP, including regulatory compliance, cost and schedule control, planning, design and construction management activities. The evaluation and planning phase of the SSERP included the development of a systemwide computerized hydraulic model, completion of short and long-term sewage flow monitoring programs, inspection and hydraulic evaluation of over 80 sewage pumping stations of various types and sizes, development of sewer rehabilitation guidelines and standards, the completion of numerous sanitary sewer evaluation studies throughout the city, development of capacity improvement measures and creation of an overall master plan and capital improvement program. Design consultants for specific studies and design projects were managed by the program manager. Construction management and resident inspection services were also provided.

More than 20 sewage pumping stations and over 20 miles of new force mains were being designed and constructed. Over $250M in sewer rehabilitation projects were also performed, including assessment and rehabilitation of sewers up to 84 inches in diameter.

Trigon recently completed inspections and hydraulic testing of 75 sewage pumping stations. The results are being used, in part, to update and re-calibrate an existing hydraulic model.