Waste and Drainage

New Orleans is among the top 5 rainiest cities in the country. To complicate this, the majority of New Orleans is below sea level and water follows gravity to find the lowest-lying areas. In order to live in these conditions, the City created an extensive drainage system that pumps water out to the other side of its levees on a continuous basis. This system needs constant maintenance and safeguarding. 

The frontlines of this drainage system are catch basins. Catch basins, sometimes referred to in other coastal cities as storm drains, are fortified boxes that receive stormwater. At the bottom of catch basins are lateral lines that lead this stormwater to an underground network of pipes, culverts, and canals, and eventually, pumping stations that evacuate water out of the system. The meet the needs for fast drainage across the city, there are more than 76,000 catch basins.  

What happens when this system gets clogged with debris? Water cannot flow through an obstructed catch basin or pipe. After any large rain event, street debris and pollution flow gravitationally with water to all nearby drainage locations, starting with the catch basins. The lateral lines are narrow and can easily clog with large sticks, plastic bags or bottles, chip bags, cans, and more. As more items accumulate, washed away sediment has no way to pass through the box. Trash and mud and debris compile atop each other in the catch basin. This further obstructs water from flowing through the system. When catch basins are clogged, streets experience localized flooding during heavy rain events.  

While the Sewerage and Water Board have a designated team to vacuum out clogged catch basins that are reported through 311, there are more catch basins than this municipality can realistically maintain. Prevention is the best solution. When people litter, they are undermining our city’s very resilience. 

Here are some items that have been found in a clogged catch basin: 

If you feel empowered to improve the drainage in your neighborhood, consider adopting a catch basin or two near your home!