Sheriff warns plumbing failures at Orleans Justice Center; council seeks contractor estimate before funding decision

New Orleans City Council President JP Morell called a special meeting on June 3, 2025, to receive an update on conditions at the Orleans Justice Center. Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hudson told council members that crews discovered multiple plumbing failures inside the building and are working on emergency repairs while identifying longer-term needs.

Why it matters: the plumbing failures have already caused flooding inside the facility, impaired support systems and damaged control panels, and could threaten continued operation if not addressed. Council members and the city’s legislative auditor discussed possible funding sources, asked for formal contractor estimates and scheduled follow-up work to reconcile fund balances before approving new appropriations.

Sheriff Susan Hudson said crews have discovered multiple leaks and were repairing them as they were found. "As of today, we've identified we have 16 active leaks," Hudson told the council. Hudson said the most urgent work — including isolating a failing hot-water recycle line and repairing ICON flush valves — was already under way and would be completed on an emergency basis that night.

Ernie Anderson, owner of Powerhouse Commercial Construction Inc., described the cause he and his team found in a concrete pipe chase: a fitting that "was not compressed," which he said allowed a slow leak to develop and then fail under pressure. "There was a fitting in there that was not…