TL;DR
Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration cleared $7.5 million in state bond money for Sewerage and Water Board drinking water projects on Oct. 15. After a tense summer between Baton Rouge and City Hall, he let the money through instead of blocking it, and he deserves credit for that. It’s also a small check against a huge bill, so New Orleans should judge it by what actually gets fixed.
Key Points
- The State Bond Commission approved $7.5 million in Sewerage and Water Board funding on Oct. 15.
- The money covers the Claiborne Filter Gallery and new lime dosing systems at the Carrollton and Algiers water plants.
- Lawmakers approved these projects in the 2026 session. Landry cleared the way for the bond sale instead of blocking it.
- BGR puts major drainage capital needs alone at about $800 million.
Gov. Jeff Landry and I don’t see eye to eye on every issue. Still, when he does right by New Orleans, he deserves to hear it. This week he did.
On Thursday, Oct. 15, Landry announced that the state would move Sewerage and Water Board funding through the State Bond Commission. Commission members approved it the same day. The package is $7.5 million, and it goes to drinking water. According to the SWB, they will use the money to pay for construction at the Claiborne Filter Gallery and new lime dosing systems at the Carrollton and Algiers treatment plants.
Don’t get it twisted. That isn’t much money for a system this broken. The SWB needs nearly a billion dollars. But this 7.5 could signal an important shift. The reason has more to do with who signed off than with the dollar figure.
Why This Sewerage and Water Board Funding Matters
The relationship between Baton Rouge and New Orleans has been tense for a while, and the Bond Commission is often where that tension shows up. Back in 2022, when Landry was attorney general, he asked the commission to hold back financing for a new S&WB power plant because city leaders wouldn’t enforce the state’s abortion ban. The commission held the money and approved it two months later.
This summer brought another rough patch. In July, an Orleans Parish grand jury indicted Attorney General Liz Murrill, one of Landry’s closest allies. Mayor Helena Moreno then withdrew a $110 million borrowing request before the commission could vote, saying it was going to be rejected. Murrill, who sits on the commission, later confirmed it.
So Is Landry Actually Helping New Orleans?
Yes. Here’s what happened in plain terms. Lawmakers approved these water plant projects back in the 2026 session. The money still couldn’t move until the Bond Commission signed off on selling the bonds. That commission has been a sticking point between the city and the state before. This time the governor made sure it moved. He announced the funding himself, and the commission approved it the same day.
So the help is real. Let me be just as clear about its size. Landry didn’t find new money for New Orleans. He made sure money the Legislature had already approved could get where it needs to go. After the summer we just had, that counts for something, and I’m glad to say so.
His joint statement with Senate President Cameron Henry and House Speaker Phillip DeVillier said the people of New Orleans “deserve results.” He’s right about that.
Moreno Answered With Thanks
Mayor Moreno answered the right way. She thanked the state for stepping in and said more investment makes the city stronger and safer. Councilmember Eugene Green thanked the governor, Commissioner of Administration Taylor Barras and legislative leaders.
Green deserves a mention here. Last month, while the governor wasn’t talking to City Hall, Green sat down with Landry at the Governor’s Mansion. He kept a line open to Baton Rouge when almost nobody else at City Hall had one. Weeks like this one show why that line matters.
That’s how this should work. Moreno and Landry will disagree on plenty. Clean drinking water shouldn’t be one of those fights.
Council President JP Morrell made the sharper point. He said the backlog on S&WB drainage projects is serious, and every stall at the Bond Commission creates uncertainty for residents and for the contractors the utility needs to hire. You can’t repair a water system on a stop-and-start schedule set by politics on either side.
$7.5 Million Won’t Fix What’s Broken
Put the number next to the need. The Bureau of Governmental Research reported in January that the S&WB has less than $7 million a year to finance roughly $800 million in major drainage capital needs. BGR also estimated that drainage requires $35 million to $60 million a year in new local money. On top of that, about $54 million a year in drainage property taxes expires by 2031 unless voters renew them.
Those are drainage figures. This week’s money goes to drinking water, which has its own long list of problems. The S&WB estimates that replacing the city’s lead service lines will cost more than $1 billion. Amendment 7 on the Nov. 3 ballot would let the utility spend a $152 million federal loan on the private side of those lines. Our guide to the 10 constitutional amendments explains that vote.
Against all of that, $7.5 million is a start. It isn’t a plan.
The $7.5 million commitment will support improvements at the Carrollton and Algiers water plants. Louisiana plans to finance the projects through state bond proceeds. However, officials have not publicly clarified whether New Orleans or the Sewerage and Water Board faces any repayment obligation. That distinction matters. State funding for critical infrastructure provides a benefit, but the public deserves clarity about who ultimately pays the bill.
Credit, and a Finish Line
Landry’s statement promised the state would keep demanding accountability from New Orleans leaders. That’s fair, and accountability should run in every direction, including toward the Bond Commission and the S&WB itself.
These projects have names and addresses. The S&WB should publish a schedule for the Claiborne Filter Gallery work and the lime dosing upgrades, with the cost of each and a completion date. Council members should ask for that schedule in public, and residents should be able to track it online.
I said Landry earned credit, and I meant it. The real win, for him and for all of us, comes when the plants are upgraded and people in New Orleans trust the water coming out of their taps.
Give the governor his due. Then let’s hold everybody accountable, City Hall and the S&WB included, to the finish line.
Related reading at BSM: Moreno Wants More Power Over SWBNO. She Already Has It. | New Orleans Is Losing Louisiana. The 2026 Session Just Made It Official.
About the Author
Jeff Thomas is the founder and publisher of Black Source Media and the owner of WBOK 1230 AM in New Orleans. He is also CEO of Fenix AI. He writes about New Orleans and Louisiana politics, power and accountability.
Sources
- WWL-TV: Landry says state will fund SWBNO infrastructure amid ongoing political clash (Oct. 15, 2026)
- WWL-TV: State approves $7.5 million for New Orleans water plant upgrades (Oct. 2026)
- Fox 8: Louisiana governor announces state funding for Sewerage and Water Board infrastructure (Oct. 15, 2026)
- WGNO: State to fund SWBNO through Bond Commission, Landry says (Oct. 15, 2026)
- WWL Radio: Moreno withdraws bond commission request (July 2026)
- Louisiana Illuminator: Landry asks Bond Commission to halt New Orleans financing (July 19, 2022)
- Bureau of Governmental Research: Paying for Drainage (Jan. 8, 2026)
- Louisiana Illuminator: Amendment 7 and lead-pipe removal (Oct. 15, 2026)
Don’t Miss the Next One
Black Source Media lands in your inbox every Sunday and Wednesday with the New Orleans and Louisiana stories other outlets won’t tell straight. Sign up free.
