Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans

What Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans does

The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) is a public corporation formed by the Louisiana Legislature in 1899 to provide drinking water, sanitary sewer, and stormwater drainage services to the City of New Orleans. It serves approximately 291,000 residents (244,000 East Bank plus 47,000 West Bank) across roughly 150,000 service connections in Orleans Parish, operating as a regulated municipal monopoly with no competitive alternatives. The utility maintains 1,610 miles of water distribution mains (34% over 100 years old), 1,600 miles of gravity and trunk sewers, and a 120-pump, 24-station drainage system unique to New Orleans' below-sea-level geography, including a dedicated 25Hz power generation complex delivering 93 MW of capacity to drive older drainage pumps via steam turbines, frequency changers, and Electro-Motive Diesel backup generators. Two water treatment plants (Carrollton on the East Bank and Algiers on the West Bank) treat 56 billion gallons of Mississippi River water annually, removing 18,000 tons of solid material and applying coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, chloramine disinfection, lime/zinc orthophosphate corrosion control, fluoridation, and rapid gravity filtration.

SWBNO's product and service surface spans operational dashboards (Pumping and Power Dashboard, Work Order Dashboard, Flood Tracker, Storm Drain Cleaning Dashboard), customer self-service tools (My Account portal, free Lead Testing Kits, Smart Metering), and large infrastructure programs including a $1 billion Lead Line Replacement Program managed by CDM Smith and a $600M+ Sewer System Evaluation and Rehabilitation Program (SSERP) managed by MWH/Stantec. The business model is a hybrid of monthly rate-based recurring revenue (water service fees, sewer service fees applied to 85% of metered consumption, drainage service fees) plus transaction-based revenue (FOG permits, industrial discharge permits, waste hauler permits, damage claims) plus managed-program revenue from federal grants (FEMA JIRR, EPA Consent Decree grants of approximately $100M authorized with $38.8M received to date, $86M from Louisiana Department of Health). Customer segments include residential (primary), food service establishments under the FOG Pretreatment Program, industrial and large commercial pretreatment users, and municipal/infrastructure partners including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, EPA, and the City of New Orleans Department of Public Works.

SWBNO is governed by a Board of Directors and led by Executive Director Randy Hayman, supported by a C-suite including Chief Financial Officer Grey Lewis, Chief Administrative Officer David Callahan, Chief Information Officer Darrell Eilts, and General Superintendent Kaitlin Tymrak. The organization is subject to an EPA Third Modified Consent Decree (entered July 17, 2014) under which it has maintained compliance since 1998, and is currently addressing material risks including approximately 60% lead contamination prevalence in tested homes, $23 million in reported legal liabilities as of December 2025, and a substantial unfunded gap between the $1 billion Lead Line Replacement obligation and the $152 million currently secured.

Name

Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans

Legal name

Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans

Website

https://swbno.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans is a Louisiana public corporation, founded in 1899, that provides drinking water, sanitary sewer, and stormwater drainage services to approximately 291,000 residents across 150,000 service connections in Orleans Parish. It operates two Mississippi River water treatment plants, 1,610 miles of water mains, 1,600 miles of sewers, and 120 drainage pumps powered by a dedicated 25Hz generation system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Water, Sewer, and Drainage Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Control & Compliance (Storage, Separation, Treatment) (EUANAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Treatment & Wet-Weather Capacity (EUANADAF), Raw Water Conveyance & Transmission (Aqueducts, Mains, Pumping Stations) (EUANAAAB), Sewer Pump/Lift Stations & Wet Wells (EUANACAC), Emergency Response & Sewer Repair (Blockages, Collapses) (EUANACAL)

Keywords

• Municipal water services
• Wastewater treatment operations
• Stormwater drainage management
• Sewer system rehabilitation
• Drinking water distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Water Service Fees: Monthly water service charges applied to all customer accounts. Revenue funds water treatment, distribution, and infrastructure maintenance. Rates are published at swbno.org/CustomerService/RatesFeesAndCharges.
2. Sewerage Service Fees: Residential sewer charges applied to 85% of metered water consumption (allowing 15% for lawn irrigation). Commercial and public housing customers charged based on metered consumption. Sewer rates are considered among the most reasonable in the nation.
3. Drainage Service Fees: Drainage charges included in monthly bills to fund the 24-pump-station drainage system operations and maintenance.
4. Federal Infrastructure Grants: SWBNO receives FEMA Joint Infrastructure Recovery Request (JIRR) program funding for major capital projects. Approximately $100 million in EPA federal grants authorized over 10 years for sewer rehabilitation, with $38.8 million received to date.
5. Lead Line Replacement Program Management: $1 billion Lead Line Replacement Program managed for SWBNO by CDM Smith, funded through EPA Lead and Copper Rule Improvements requirements. Program runs through December 31, 2037 and covers 50,000 to 80,000 lead service line replacements.
6. Pretreatment Permits and Fees: Food service establishments and industrial users pay for FOG (Fats, Oil, Grease) permits, waste hauler permits, and pretreatment discharge permits. Revenue supports the Environmental Affairs Pretreatment Section.
7. Property Damage Claims: SWBNO manages a claims process for property damage related to Sewerage and Water Board operations. Funded from a $3.6 million annual emergency budget for water main break repairs costing approximately $400,000 each.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) is a municipal utility that treats and distributes drinking water from the Mississippi River, collects and treats sanitary sewage, and operates a stormwater drainage system for Orleans Parish. The agency serves approximately 291,000 residents through about 150,000 service connections, supported by two water treatment plants (Carrollton and Algiers), 1,610 miles of water mains, 1,600 miles of sewers, and 24 drainage pump stations with 120 pumps powered in part by a unique 25Hz power generation system.

Product overview

The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) is a municipal utility providing water, sewerage, and drainage services to New Orleans. The organization operates two water treatment plants (Carrollton on the East Bank and Algiers on the West Bank), maintaining approximately 1,610 miles of drinking water mains and 1,600 miles of sanitary sewers. SWBNO offers customer-facing digital services including the Pumping and Power Dashboard, Work Order Dashboard, Flood Tracker, and Storm Drain Cleaning Dashboard for operational monitoring. Customer self-service tools include the My Account portal for bill payment and consumption tracking, free Lead Testing Kits, and Smart Metering. Major infrastructure initiatives include the $1 billion Lead Line Replacement Program managed by CDM Smith, the French Quarter Transmission Main Project, and the Water Distribution System Immediate Action Plan addressing aging water infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drinking Water Service Treated drinking water supplied to residential and commercial customers across Orleans Parish from the Carrollton (~135 MGD) and Algiers (~11 MGD) water treatment plants on the Mississippi River.
• Sanitary Sewerage Service Collection and treatment of sanitary sewage across 1,600 miles of gravity and trunk sewers plus 100+ miles of force mains, processed at the East Bank (100 MGD) and West Bank/Algiers sewage treatment plants with combined capacity of 132 MGD.
• Stormwater Drainage Service Stormwater management through 24 drainage pump stations with 120 pumps (87 of 93 major pumps currently available), 90 miles of open canals, 90 miles of subsurface canals, and 76,000+ catch basins, protected by 25Hz power generation capacity of 93 MW.
• FOG Pretreatment Permit Program Mandatory Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) permits, grease trap/interceptor discharge permits, and waste hauler permits for food service establishments, industrial users, and large commercial users in Orleans Parish, enforced under Pretreatment Ordinance Section 16.5.
• Smart Metering Program Deployment of smart meters for residential and commercial customers, enabling automated meter reading and improved water use metrics tracking through the My Account portal.
• Lead Line Replacement Program $1 billion program to replace 50,000 to 80,000 lead service lines in New Orleans by December 31, 2037 under EPA Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, managed by CDM Smith with Trinnex leadCAST Predict ML GIS support.
• Sewer System Evaluation and Rehabilitation Program (SSERP) Multi-year $600+ million sewer rehabilitation program using a computerized decision model to identify cost-effective rehabilitation methods from CCTV inspection data across 5.1 million feet of sanitary sewer pipe, with 291,000+ feet and 2,600+ manholes rehabilitated to date under the Third Modified EPA Consent Decree.
• Water Distribution System Immediate Action Plan Multi-step urgent action plan addressing aging water mains, including pilot testing on the oldest water mains, condition assessment using emerging technologies, and development of a citywide condition assessment program with eight urgent transmission main repairs identified and four completed.
• French Quarter Transmission Main Project Replacement of 115-year-old transmission water mains in the French Quarter, including 1,600 ft of 24-inch aging cast iron transmission mains, replacement of 2,000 ft of drainage lines, and inspection/repair of 1,500 ft of sewer lines. Funded through FEMA's Joint Infrastructure Recovery Request Program.
• Pumping and Power Dashboard Public-facing real-time dashboard showing operational status of drainage pumps (87 of 93 available), turbine generators, frequency changers, and EMD backup generators at the Power Complex.
• Work Order Dashboard Interactive dashboard displaying work order status and geographic map showing repairs and maintenance activities across water, sewer, and drainage systems, allowing customers to track service requests.
• Flood Tracker Interactive tool for residents and customers to report drainage issues, flooding, and clogged catch basins online and view reported issues on a map.
• Storm Drain Cleaning Dashboard Interactive public dashboard tracking storm drain cleaning progress with search functionality for cleaning updates by area, including catch basins cleaned, drainage lines cleaned, and debris removed.
• My Account Online Portal 24/7 online customer self-service portal for viewing and paying bills, reviewing transaction and payment history, analyzing and downloading water consumption data, and managing account information.
• Lead Testing Kit Free lead testing kits available to residential locations in Orleans Parish. Test kits are mailed with instructions, include return postage, and results are provided by mail within six to eight weeks.
• Annual Consumer Confidence Report Annual federally mandated water quality report covering the drinking water treatment process, lead safety guidance, PFAS information, water quality test results, and smart metering progress, available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
• Leak and Field Issue Reporting 24/7 online and telephone reporting channel for water leaks, sewer leaks, drainage problems, and flooded catch basins, supported by the Emergency Desk at 504-52-WATER.
• Corrosion Control Pilot (Zinc Orthophosphate at Algiers) Pilot program to add zinc orthophosphate, an EPA-approved food-grade corrosion control additive, to drinking water at the Algiers Water Treatment Plant to protect pipes from corrosion and reduce lead levels.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87 of 93 major drainage pumps available during peak storm events, capable of pumping 1 inch of water in the first hour and half an inch every hour thereafter
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CDM SmithcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCDM Smith was selected by SWBNO to manage its $1 billion Lead Line Replacement Program with a December 31, 2037 deadline to meet EPA Lead and Copper Rule Improvements requirements. The program covers 50,000 to 80,000 lead service line replacements across New Orleans. CDM Smith handles outreach, contractor procurement, inventory management, construction management, and workforce development.
• MWH Consulting EngineerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMWH (now part of Stantec) serves as the program manager for the SSERP (Sewer System Evaluation and Rehabilitation Program), a $600+ million multi-year effort. MWH's program management experience includes planning and management of extensive sewer rehabilitation projects in Houston, Baton Rouge, Miami, and San Francisco.
• U.S. Filter (Veolia)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerU.S. Filter operates the two sewage treatment plants (East Bank and West Bank/Algiers) with combined capacity of 132 million gallons per day. The operator is responsible for plant maintenance and efficient treatment operations under SWBNO oversight.
• U.S. Army Corps of EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Army Corps of Engineers administers the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project (SELA), which includes 20 projects in New Orleans such as new drainage pumping stations (Carrollton and Industrial Canal), improvements to existing stations, and miles of underground drainage canals. SWBNO acts as the Corps' local partner.
• Entergy New OrleanscoreTechnology or IntegrationEntergy New Orleans provides 60-cycle power to SWBNO's drainage systems in New Orleans East and the West Bank. SWBNO uses frequency changers to convert Entergy's 60Hz power to 25Hz for older drainage pumps. Entergy infrastructure upgrades are coordinated within the same corridors as SWBNO water/sewer projects (e.g., French Quarter Transmission Main Project).
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWBNO entered the Third Modified Consent Decree with the EPA and U.S. Department of Justice in July 2014. The consent decree covers sewer overflow action plan, remedial repairs, preventive maintenance, green infrastructure investment, and quarterly/annual reporting. SWBNO has maintained full compliance since 1998. EPA also provides approximately $100 million in authorized federal grants for sewer rehabilitation.
• U.S. Department of JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-signatory to the Third Modified Consent Decree with EPA requiring SWBNO to rehabilitate its sewer collection system. The decree establishes construction milestones and reporting requirements to avoid fines of up to $15,000 per day for non-compliance.
• Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLDEQ is a party to the Third Modified Consent Decree and coordinates with SWBNO on environmental compliance, stormwater management, and discharge permits. SWBNO must comply with state environmental quality standards in addition to federal EPA requirements.

Scale indicators23 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Boston Water and Sewer Commission: Boston Water and Sewer Commission is an independent municipal authority providing water, sewer, and stormwater drainage services to Boston. Comparable combined water/sewer/drainage mandate in an older Northeast US city with aging infrastructure parallels.
• Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department: Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department serves ~2.3M residents across Miami-Dade County with water and wastewater services. Comparable coastal flood-exposed municipal utility with aging infrastructure and consent decree obligations.
• Philadelphia Water Department: Philadelphia Water Department provides drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services to ~1.7M customers with extensive aging infrastructure and consent decree obligations. Closely comparable municipal utility facing similar century-old pipe replacement and CSO challenges.
• JEA (Jacksonville): JEA is a community-owned utility providing water, wastewater, and electric services to Jacksonville, FL. Comparable in combining water and wastewater utility operations with significant capital infrastructure and below-sea-level coastal city exposure like SWBNO.
• New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP): NYC DEP operates the largest municipal water and wastewater system in the US, serving ~8M residents with water supply, sewer collection, and wastewater treatment. Highly comparable to SWBNO in mandate (water/sewer/stormwater), EPA consent decree compliance, and large capital programs.
• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC): SFPUC operates San Francisco's water, wastewater, and stormwater systems with the Hetch Hetchy regional water supply. Comparable integrated municipal utility with major capital programs and federal partnership exposure similar to SWBNO's FEMA/EPA relationships.
• Houston Water (Houston Public Works): Houston Water, operated through Houston Public Works, serves ~2.3M residents with water and wastewater services and has major SSERP-style sewer rehabilitation experience. MWH (now Stantec) brings comparable SSERP program management context as used by SWBNO.
• DC Water: DC Water is the municipal water and wastewater authority serving Washington, DC, operating similar combined water/sewer/stormwater services under EPA consent decree oversight. Most directly comparable US municipal utility in terms of integrated water, sewer, and drainage mandate with federal regulatory exposure.

Broad incumbents

• American Water Works Company: American Water is the largest US investor-owned water and wastewater utility serving ~14M people across 14 states. Provides a private-sector parallel to municipal utilities like SWBNO, with similar water/sewer operations but as a regulated multi-state commercial entity.

Others

• Veolia North America (Veolia Water): Veolia is a global environmental services company that operates water and wastewater treatment facilities on contract, including via U.S. Filter (which operates SWBNO's two sewage treatment plants under the East Bank and West Bank plants). Directly tied to SWBNO operations as outsourced plant operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SWBNewOrleans
• Facebookfacebook.com/SWBNewOrleans
• Instagraminstagram.com/SWBNewOrleans
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swbneworleans

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans