NEW ORLEANS – With all 17 permanent pumps inspected and restored, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will remove the contingency pumps installed on the Pratt Drive side of the London Avenue Outfall Canal in New Orleans, La. The process to carefully remove the pumps and all associated piping will begin Monday, July 10, and take approximately one month to complete.
USACE, in partnership with the U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, installed 34 temporary pumps to provide emergency pumping capacity while work was underway to inspect and restore the permanent pumps at the London Avenue Permanent Canal Closures and Pumps structure. These pumps provided a combined 1,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) in pumping capacity to ensure the pump station could perform as needed while the 1,800 cfs Pump #1 was under repair. These contingency pumps are no longer necessary as the London Ave. PCCP has been restored to its full design capacity of 9,000 cfs.
Once all temporary components have been removed, USACE will begin restoration of the impacted greenspace. This work will include seeding and fertilizing the site, mulching and aerating the existing trees, pruning the crape myrtle trees, and planting two additional oak trees. A licensed horticulturalist and arborist will be hired to ensure the effort is done appropriately.
In February 2023, USACE identified corrosion as the primary cause of failure at Pump #1 at the London Avenue PCCP. In response, USACE began efforts to restore Pump #1 and worked with the PCCP Joint Venture contractor to inspect and repair, if necessary, the remaining 16 pumps at the three PCCP locations to ensure the pump stations would perform as designed during the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane season. These inspections and repairs were completed on June 1, 2023, with all pumps deemed available and reliable for hurricane season.
Following hurricane season, USACE will begin a long-term effort to deliver pumps that are sustainable, reliable and meet the 35-year design life. This work will take place outside of hurricane season and is anticipated to take multiple years.
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Release no. 23-016