Landrieu: 104 out of 120 pumps operational

At an afternoon press conference, Landrieu discussing a wide variety of recent problems with the Sewerage and Water Board's citywide drainage system.

"We currently have 104 pumps out of 120 pumps available to be operational," he said. "The 'C' Pump at Drainage Pumping Station 6 was fixed and running late yesterday afternoon."

A fire in the control panel for that pump sparked a citywide panic as officials disclosed how diminished the overall pumping capacity had become.

"The remaining 16 [pumps] that are out of service are beginning emergency repairs for completion over the next several weeks," Landrieu said.

There is a strong likelihood that the working pumps may actually require some measure of maintenance or repairs, Landrieu said, so crews are currently assessing those as well.

"This will also help us assess what the system's real capacity is so we can all plan in real time, with the best information, for the future," he said.

The statuses of individual pumps and the schedules of repairs will be posted in real time on the Sewerage and Water Board website, Landrieu said.