Water policy updates & a program to launch water businesses

​​​​​Here are the latest news stories in local and national water policy for June. Scroll to the end for a list of water events and deadlines to keep on your radar.

In The News

New Orleans Levee System Deemed “High Risk” and “Minimally Acceptable” 
Source: NOLA.com 
With the start of the 2018 hurricane season, reviews of the New Orleans area levee ​system by the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) rank it as “High Risk,” raising concern about the ability of the system to withstand major storms and local levee districts’ ability to keep up with maintenance needs. While the system should be able to withstand storm surge from a 1% annual chance, aka 100-year, event, there is a risk of levee failure for 200-year or stronger events (Hurricane Katrina’s Lake Borgne storm surge was a 200-250 year event). According to a USACE specialist, the levees would be overtopped in a 200-year event, which has a 14 percent chance of occurring in the lifetime of a 30-year home mortgage. The “High Risk” ranking is “supposed to trigger a number of actions by the corps and the local sponsors, which in this case would include local levee authorities and the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. Those actions include taking “risk reduction” measures, including flood proofing, raising structures and key infrastructure like highways, and buyouts. The ranking also should trigger interim levee inspections and increased monitoring during floods, as well as ensuring evacuation plans are viable and that property owners purchase flood insurance, among other measures.”

Accounting Policy Could Help Scale Green Infrastructure Projects
Source: News Deeply
A newly released implementation guide by the  by the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) could make it easier for public agencies to invest in larger scale green or distributed infrastructure. While investments in grey infrastructure are considered assets and can be financed through the selling bonds, green infrastructure projects were usually funded through operating budgets because they weren’t considered to be assets owned by public agencies. However, GASB has clarified that agencies can consider green infrastructure to be “regulatory assets,” allowing them to access debt financing for such projects. This could allow for significant investments in green and distributed infrastructure, including permeable pavement, rain gardens, catchment systems, watershed restoration, and lead line replacements. 

Gov. Edwards Issues Executive Order for Watershed Floodplain Management
Source: KALB, The Advocate
Governor John Bel Edwards issued an executive order to establish statewide 
Watershed-Based Floodplain Management Coordination, aimed to mitigate flood risk by increasing coordination between state agencies, local governments, and partner organizations on land use, policy, and infrastructure decisions. The executive order establishes a Council on Watershed Management, made up of representatives from the Office of Community Development, Department of Transportation and Development, Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. They will be tasked with addressing flooding issues across Louisiana, engaging additional partners, and enhancing watershed and floodplain management. 

More Water Headlines

• Congressional water bill could speed Louisiana levee, water projects
• Louisiana Senate approves $566 million annual plan for coastal restoration, hurricane protection
• Bill to add City Council representation back to Sewerage & Water Board heads to governor’s desk
• Our levees and pumps aren’t enough to keep New Orleans dry | Editorial
• Talks on flood insurance overhaul heating up after long stint of inaction on Capitol Hill
• The Places in the U.S. Where Disaster Strikes Again and Again
• Levees Make Mississippi River Flooding Worse, But We Keep Building Them
• Louisiana Wants To Use The Muddy Mississippi To Build Up Its Coast
• Jade Brown Russell named acting Sewerage & Water Board executive director

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

• Early Deadline for Propeller’s Startup Accelerator ​| June 24 – ​Water entrepreneurs and small businesses are encouraged to apply to Propeller’s Startup Accelerator by the early deadline of June 24th. Learn more.  
• Grants for Addressing Water Issues Relating to Climate Change | June 30 Deadline – The Woodard & Curran Foundation is accepting applications from nonprofits organizations for projects focused on protecting and promoting clean water sources. The foundation’s Impact Fund will award a single of $100,000 over three years to an innovative project that applies or advances technology by addressing a water issue (e.g., water, wastewater, stormwater, etc.) related to climate change. Apply here.