The Sewerage & Water Board and Entergy pointed fingers at one another on Saturday afternoon in trying to explain why a new, $300 million power complex for the drainage system failed its first major test during Tropical Storm Arthur two days earlier.
The S&WB said a voltage drop from a new Entergy substation dedicated to drainage pumps caused its equipment to trip offline for more than half an hour, cutting power to seven major drainage pump stations. S&WB said the settings require a minimum voltage level to operate, and that it is reconsidering whether the substation can be relied on during serious storms.
“We refer to Entergy on the specifics of this incident and how the severe storm and tornado conditions impacted their equipment and the delivery of power to our substation. We also refer to them regarding the power quality standards that they typically maintain,” S&WB spokesperson Ceara Labat said in an email…