A power dip during Tropical Storm Arthur knocked critical New Orleans drainage pumps offline on June 18, but Sewerage and Water Board officials say the issue is resolved.
According to a video release by the Sewerage and Water Board, an independent engineering review revealed the culprit: newly installed static frequency converters were set too sensitive, tripping offline whenever power dropped.
Before the incident, the safety cutoffs triggered too easily.
“Before June 18th, the equipment was set to trip at 80% of regular voltage. Today, it is now set to handle 28% of regular voltage,” Hayman explained.
This shift allows the system to ride through roughly 86% of expected grid fluctuations.
Hayman claims physical hardware remains sound after running through multiple heavy rain events since January. “The challenge was never the equipment failing. It was how the equipment responded to grid conditions,” Hayman said.
Hayman said additional hardware may be needed to continue strengthening the grid.
