The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has installed the first two of more than 60 planned water bottle refill stations as part of ongoing efforts to make the facility an industry leader in sustainability. These first installations are a pilot test for a building-wide rollout in the coming months.
Both of the newly installed refill stations can be found on the Convention Center Boulevard-side of Lobby B. Visitors to the Center can place their re-usable water bottles up to the station’s infrared sensor, which will then dispense chilled and filtered water. The station will keep a running tally of how many single-use plastic bottles were spared from landfills as a result of using the more eco-friendly water bottle refill station. Eventually, most of the public restrooms in the Convention Center will have two or more of these new refill stations, totaling more than 60 new installations within the next few years.
These new installations also mark the beginning of a renovation project for the facility’s restrooms. In total, all 36 of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center’s restrooms will be remodeled in order to improve the experience of the Center’s guests. The restroom remodels will also include new water-saving technology, which further demonstrates the facility’s commitment to environmentally-friendly conservation efforts.
The Convention Center restroom renovation project along with the water refill station installations are part of a $557 million five-year modernization plan that will transform the guest experience including reimagined meeting rooms, restrooms and public spaces. A 1,200 room headquarters hotel connected to the Center is slated to open in 2024. The hotel will be surrounded with a 39-acre mixed-use project on an adjacent tract owned by the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority.
Employees of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center enjoy a drink after the installation of the new bottle refill station.
In total, more than 60 new refill stations will be installed in the coming months as part of a $557 million five-year modernization plan for the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
About the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
With 1.1 million square feet of prime exhibit space, in an entirely contiguous hall, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center provides the largest single exhibit space in the country. The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center features an award winning staff and first class amenities, and is the sixth largest convention center in the nation. A consistent Top 10 host of the largest conventions and tradeshows in the nation annually, the Convention Center is also one of the city’s “Top Workplaces.” A leading contributor to the city’s robust tourism economy, the Convention Center’s event activity has produced $90.1 billion in economic impact since its 1985 opening, including $5.7 billion in new tax revenue for state and local governments.
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