Introduction:

We have 14 storm drains within our two blocks, surrounding Lusher and Sci High. Most of these drains haven't been properly cleaned since 2017. Flooding, being so common in New Orleans, pushes plastic and other debris into the storm, causing them to clog up. The clogging makes the flooding worse, creating a circle.

Our main concern:

We want to identify the plastic being littered and try to find a way to not allow it to enter our storm drains.

Obstacles and supporting information:

• Our area has a lot of pedestrians due to schools and being located on a busy street. This leads to excessive littering on our block.
• Another obstacle is, how infrequently our storm drains are being cleaned. We know that the last time many drains were cleaned was in 2017
• Students that eat lunch outside often leave trash behind causing even more litter.

Who is engaged in this concern?

This issue concerns the Sewage and Water Board because they are in charge of dealing with flooding in the area.

Lusher Charter School and Math and Science are involved because they are in the area

What are the initial questions?

• How is litter entering our area?
• What are effective ways to stop litter from entering storm drains?
• What kind of plastic is being thrown onto the ground?