City engineer outlines phased plan to improve drainage in older section of town

Walter Como, the city engineer, reported to the Broussard City Council on Feb. 25 that the city will begin systematic surveys and staged repairs to drainage infrastructure in the older part of town, including Morgan Street and the Ridgeview and Saint Cecilia outfalls.

Como said the work responds to concerns raised by Councilman Monet and field visits by engineering staff. "We're we're identifying some areas that we're gonna start taking a look at, doing some surveys, and and working with Public Works to, start piece by piece improving the drainage in the old part of town, which is over a 100 years old," Como said. He described existing pipes and ditches as often improperly graded and noted a need to establish "self cleansing velocity" so flows carry silt and debris and make maintenance easier.

Como described the approach as phased: the city will work from the outfalls upstream because downstream capacity must be addressed first. He noted the Ridgeview outfall had received more than $1 million in recent work to stabilize it, saying, "we spent, I think, mayor, a little over a million dollars getting Ridgeview outfall up to snuff." The Saint Cecilia outfall and other buried pipes also have aging sections; Como recalled a previous Main Street closure to replace a crumbling pipe that left a void under the roadway.

No formal action was taken on the report. Como said staff will prepare recommendations and budget numbers for phased improvements; councilmembers asked questions but no appropriation was approved at the meeting.