Sewerage and Water Board Repairing Sewer Main Break in New Orleans

Floodwater receding after heavy rains caused surcharging

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans is working to repair a sewer main break that occurred at the intersection of North Galvez and St. Louis Avenue. Executive Director Randy Hayman stated that the force main break has affected fewer than 10 homes, and the floodwater has receded after heavy rainfall caused some flooding in the area. Hayman noted that the pipe is close to 100 years old, and the team is in the process of disinfecting and flushing the area before making the necessary repairs.

Why it matters

Sewer main breaks can pose significant public health and environmental concerns, especially in urban areas like New Orleans that have aging infrastructure. Prompt action by the Sewerage and Water Board to address the issue and mitigate any potential sewage release is crucial to protecting the local community and environment.

The details

According to Executive Director Randy Hayman, the force main break occurred at the intersection of North Galvez and St. Louis Avenue. The water levels have gone down after heavy rainfall caused some flooding in the area. Hayman stated that the team is currently disinfecting and flushing the area, and once the water levels stay down, a repair crew will weld and solder the broken main.

  • The sewer main break occurred on February 15, 2026.

The players

Randy Hayman

Executive Director of the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, responsible for overseeing the repair of the sewer main break.

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What they’re saying

“As the water goes down and stays down, we're going to have a team come out that's going to be able to make the repair and, and solder and uh and weld everything shut again.”

— Randy Hayman, Executive Director (WWL)

What’s next

Once the water levels recede and remain low, the Sewerage and Water Board repair crew will weld and solder the broken sewer main to complete the necessary repairs.

The takeaway

This sewer main break highlights the ongoing challenges that cities like New Orleans face in maintaining aging infrastructure, and the importance of proactive maintenance and investment to prevent such issues from occurring and protect public health and the environment.