Lakeshore woman waits for full repairs months after SWBNO started work

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - A Lakeshore woman is waiting for her property, sidewalk and street to be fully restored months after the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board (SWBNO) attempted to repair a water leak.

City of New Orleans spokesperson Keristen Holmes reported SWBNO attempted to perform a leak repair near Myrna Fawer’s Topaz Street home in August.

“Unfortunately, that repair was unsuccessful,” Holmes said.

Fox 8 crews met Fawer at her home in mid-October, two months after the unsuccessful repair.

The street, sidewalk and her property were in a state of disrepair.

Water pooled in front of her home. Fox 8 measured it to be two feet deep.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns young children can drown in just two inches of water.

Fawer called the situation “a disaster” and a “horror story.”

“I’ve seen the young children. around there looking at it, and that’s what made me nervous too,” she said.

Fawer said she had asked the utility to make repairs, without success.

Fox 8 asked her what her message would be for the SWBNO. She declined to say.

“This girl has a mouth when she’s angry,” she said.

Fox 8 sent SWBNO an email the day it met with Fawer (Oct. 14) and multiple emails in the aftermath.

Fox 8 also requested an interview with SWBNO Executive Director Randy Hayman.

The utility did not make Hayman available for an interview.

Two days after speaking with Fawer, Fox 8 returned to her home to interview New Orleans City Councilmember Eugene Green, who represents the area at city hall.

Moments before the interview began, a SWBNO crew appeared to begin repairs. It had been two months since the initial unsuccessful leak repair attempt.

Green said SWBNO owes Fawer an apology and should improve communications.

“It takes two months, because very honestly, even in the community that I’m standing, there are a score of repairs that are being done. What I really would like to see is, and as we get more involved with the operations of the Sewerage and Water Board, better communications,” he said.

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno is pushing for SWBNO to become a city department by 2028.

Holmes sent Fox 8 a statement that a publicly funded contractor, RNGD, made repairs on Oct. 20.

Fox 8 returned to the property after those repairs, finding the water gone, and the sidewalk and street repaired with gravel. wants to put in its next issue,” Fawer said.

Holmes said pavement restoration would be expected in an estimated four to six weeks, which would be near the end of November.

As of Nov. 12, the repaving had not happened.

RNGD is doing work along Topaz St. as part of the city’s Joint Infrastructure Recovery Request (JIRR) work.

Fox 8 has reached out to RNGD for comment.

SWBNO sent Fox 8 a statement on Wednesday (Nov. 11), stating the SWBNO coordinated the water leak repair at Topaz Street “and post-repair restoration with the City to be completed as part of the ongoing joint infrastructure project, RR407 constructed by RNGD.”

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