[Flexible Waterline Test]
[00:00:08]
HI, THIS IS PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE SHANG.
I'M HERE TODAY AT OUR WEST BANK INTAKE PLAN.
I'M WITH OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAMS AND I'M REALLY SO VERY PROUD OF THEM.
WE ARE TESTING OUR FLEXIBLE WATERLINE SYSTEM, WHICH WAS IN PREPARATION FOR THE SALT WATER INTRUSION COMING OUR WAY, AND THE POTENTIAL OF US NOT HAVING FRESH WATER THROUGHOUT JEFFERSON PARISH.
THE PIPELINES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE, SO TO SPEAK, OUTTA THE DANGER ZONE.
WE'VE RENTED THE EQUIPMENT, WE WANNA TEST IT.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN AGAIN IN THE FUTURE, WE WOULD KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE ISSUES WERE.
I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE DRAWING IN WATER FROM 15 MILES UP.
WE'RE BRINGING IT THROUGH A FLEXIBLE WATERLINE SYSTEM.
EVERY ABOUT THREE AND A HALF OR FOUR MILES, THERE'S PUMPS THAT GO AND THESE FLEXIBLE WATER LINES.
IT, IT'S BASICALLY LIKE A VERY SOPHISTICATED FIRE HOSE HAVE TRAVELED 15 MILES AND THEY GO UP AND DOWN THE LEVEE.
SOMETIMES THEY CROSS THE LEVEE ALL THE WAY HERE TO OUR INTAKE SYSTEM THAT GOES TO OUR TREATMENT PLANT AND GETS SERVED.
BUT NOW WE'LL HAVE WATER HERE COMING FROM 15 MILES UP RIVER.
TO STAY AHEAD OF THE, THE TO OF THE SALT WATER WEDGE, WE NEEDED A SYSTEM THAT COULD BE PUT IN VERY QUICKLY.
'CAUSE WE BASICALLY HAD, MAYBE AT THE TIME, THREE AND A HALF WEEKS, WE NEEDED A SYSTEM THAT WAS NIMBLE.
'CAUSE WE KNEW THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF BUSINESSES THAT CROSSED THE LEVEE.
WHAT IT IS, IT'S LAY FAT, 12 INCH DIAMETER.
YOU CAN JUST UNREAL IT VERY QUICKLY.
THEY'RE IN LIKE 60 FOOT LENGTHS, SO YOU CAN LAY THAT FLAT PIPE DOWN VERY QUICKLY.
UH, YOU CAN PUT THE PUMPS THAT YOU NEED AT STRATEGIC LOCATIONS.
EACH LINE COULD PROBABLY HANDLE MAYBE AROUND 7 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
WE HAD MADE MODIFICATIONS TO OUR TREATMENT PLANT.
WE BASICALLY PUT FOUR TAPS ON EACH PIPE, PUT A VALVE ON THOSE, AND THEN RAN PIPES DOWN FROM EACH OF THOSE INTAKE PIPES TO TIE TO THE SYSTEM OF LAY FLAT PIPES THAT WAS COMING IN.
THE FOUR MAIN LINES COMING IN.
UH, EVERYTHING WORKED LIKE WE THOUGHT IT WOULD.
I CAN'T THANK OUR TEAMS ENOUGH.
THIS IS A LOCAL SOLUTION FOR YOUR VERY OWN PUBLIC WORKS TEAM IN JEFFERSON PARISH THAT SOLVED THIS PROBLEM.
WE HAVE TO THANK THE STATE FOR ALL THEIR COOPERATION IN THE CORE THAT REALLY EXPEDITED ALL THE PERMITTING TO HELP US WITH THIS, I THINK THIS WILL BE ANOTHER SOLUTION.
UM, RIGHT NOW THEY'RE STILL BARGING WATER TO CERTAIN AREAS IN OTHER PARISHES.
THE SUCCESS OF THIS MEANS THAT THIS IS ANOTHER SOLUTION THAT WE CAN LOOK AT.
IF THIS ISSUE WERE TO HAPPEN AGAIN, KUDOS TO OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAM.
THEY REALLY WORKED VERY HARD FOR A LOT OF WEEKS, BUT THE PROBLEM THEY SOLVED WAS BRINGING FRESH WATER TO EVERY PIPE IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
THEY SOLVED UNDER A VERY STRICT TIME CONSTRAINT FOR ALL OF US.
THERE WERE SOME SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, BUT YOU HAVE TO DO THINGS ON THE FLY.
AS A PROBLEM COMES UP, YOU NEED TO RESOLVE IT QUICKLY.
SO IT'S REWARDING TO SEE THE TEAM THAT WE HAVE ASSEMBLED AT THE PARISH THAT IS NIMBLE ENOUGH TO ANALYZE THINGS QUICKLY, MAKE DECISIONS, AND MOVE FORWARD SO THAT WE CAN GET THINGS DONE IN THE MOST PRACTICAL WAY.