NEW ORLEANS – The turbine that was damaged in a fire last week has been repaired, and eight backup generators have been successfully installed, according to an update from the Mayor’s office.
Turbine #1 has been repaired and brought fully back online, Mayor Mitch Landrieu said in an update sent out this afternoon.
More than two dozen generators that will provide power backup and redundancy throughout the power system have also been delivered, although only eight are currently hooked up and running.
The 26 redundant generators will remain in service until hurricane season ends in November, according to Landrieu.
Third-party experts are also under contract to help city workers fix three turbines that have been inoperable for an undetermined amount of time.
The outside experts will also assist in efforts to acquire additional equipment for backup power sources such as generators, transformers, feeders and other equipment, how to fix the broken pumps as soon as possible, and to determine the true capacity of the working pumps, according to Landrieu’s statement.
Seventeen of the city’s 120 drainage pumps are currently out of service, Landrieu said, and the 17 that are down are currently being assessed for damage.
Five different contractors are working around the clock to fix the damaged pumps, Landrieu said.