Water Woes Continue to Plague New Orleans

Among its many problems as a result of last year’s devastating hurricane, the city of New Orleans continues to struggle with the damage to its water, wastewater, and drainage systems.

Local reports say the city’s Sewerage and Water Board still is waiting for most of the promised $447 million in federal assistance to pay for a growing list of repairs to underground pipes. Meanwhile, businesses and government buildings often face low water pressure and frequent service shut downs.

FEMA spokesperson Ronnie Simpson told New Orleans television station KATC3 that his agency recognized the severity of the situation. He said that, "we’re all here to help this city come back," but that the federal funds were "an astronomical amount of taxpayer money" that must go through a review process to justify spending.