| New Orleans is like a saucer, levees
that have been built to protect us from the Mississippi River
and Lake Pontchartrain waters also retain all the rain water
that falls with in the city, making the city vulnerable to floods.
Our Drainage System dates back to the turn of the century.
In 1896, the New Orleans Drainage Commission was organized to
carry out a master drainage plan that had been developed for
the city. Three years later in 1899, the Sewerage and Water Board
was authorized by the Louisiana Legislature to furnish, construct,
operate, and maintain a water treatment and distribution system
and a sanitary sewerage system for New Orleans. In 1903, the
Drainage Commission was merged with the Sewerage and Water Board
to consolidate drainage, water, and sewerage programs under one
agency for more efficient operations. This combined organization
retained the title Sewerage and Water Board, and remains as such
today. |
