Shreveport’s sanitary sewer system consists of 1,100-miles of pipe and 120 pump (lift) stations. This infrastructure conveys untreated sewage through our city to two treatment facilities for processing. Contaminants are removed by the treatment facilities and treated water is discharged into the Red River.
Our sewer system is old and has deteriorated over time. Parts of it are undersized and in poor condition. Some of the pipes leak due to corrosion from sewer gases, cracking or breaking from shifting soil, or even stress from blockages within the pipe. These issues have caused sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) to occur throughout our city. When this happens, untreated sewage can be released onto the ground or into waterways.