Knowledge Base

On occasion, property owners who have open-ditch frontage along their properties may look to install piping in those areas to enhance drainage from the property and eliminate the open-ditch area. In those instances, please note that per Sec. 1:606 of the Baton Rouge Code of Ordinances, City-Parish personnel and equipment are not to be utilized for the purpose of installing privately purchased pipe, either for driveway purposes or in order to eliminate an open ditch bordering private property but within the street right-of-way.

Per the Unified Development Code Sec. 15.14.B.2:  “No person shall install pipe, cover, or otherwise alter any drainage way without first obtaining written permission from the Department of Public Works. The Department of Public Works may require, at its sole discretion, that such plans be submitted to and installed to specifications of the Department of Public Works.” This means that all requests to have drainage pipe placed within a public servitude or right-of-way, or within a water feature such as a ditch, channel, or swale that conveys water onto or away from any tract or lot (offsite drainage), must be sent to and approved by the City-Parish prior to the placement of the pipe. This is to ensure there is no hardship posed to the public by standing water or flooding (residents, businesses, public streets, etc.) due to improperly sized or placed pipe.  In these instances, are certain specifications that must be followed so that the pipe has an adequate service life and can be easily maintained by the City-Parish.

The City-Parish may furnish such property owners with grades, elevations and pipe sizes should the need arise. If you are a property owner in need of pipe sizing or other information relative to such installations, please contact the Subdivision Engineering Office, Flood Plain Management Section, at (225) 389-3196 for more information.