LOUISIANA WASTEWATER FACT SHEET
Six sourced figures for reporters, homeowners, and anyone trying to understand the infrastructure behind the drains and sewer lines we rely on every day.
Last updated November 10, 2026. Figures remain dated to their original source.
THE BIG PICTURE
Most days, wastewater infrastructure is invisible. When a drain backs up, a septic system struggles, or a sewer line needs attention, it becomes very real, very fast. This page brings together public figures that help explain the scale of that work in Louisiana and across the country.
These statistics are not estimates from Stewie’s Drains. Each number links to the agency that published it, with the source date shown alongside the figure.
475,299
Louisiana had this many permitted onsite wastewater treatment systems as of August 2023. These systems serve properties that are not connected to a centralized sewer line.
Louisiana Department of Health, Onsite Wastewater ProgramAugust 2023
54.75 billion
Louisiana’s onsite wastewater systems treat approximately this volume of wastewater annually, according to the state health department.
Louisiana Department of Health, Onsite Wastewater ProgramCurrent figure posted by the agency, accessed November 2026
57 of 64
The Louisiana Department of Health reports that 57 parishes have enacted onsite sewage ordinances, showing how common decentralized wastewater systems are across the state.
Louisiana Department of Health, Onsite Wastewater ProgramCurrent figure posted by the agency, accessed November 2026
$5,776
In the EPA’s 2022 national survey, Louisiana was among the states with the highest reported clean-water infrastructure need per person. This is a planning measure, not a household repair cost.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2022 Clean Watersheds Needs SurveyJanuary 1, 2022 dollars
$151.1 billion
The EPA identified this level of nationwide need for sewer conveyance system repair and new conveyance systems in its 2022 survey. Conveyance systems are the pipes and related infrastructure that move wastewater.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2022 Clean Watersheds Needs SurveyJanuary 1, 2022 dollars
17,544
The EPA survey counted this many reported public wastewater treatment works, serving 270.4 million people nationwide in 2022.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2022 Clean Watersheds Needs Survey2022 survey results
SOURCES AND METHOD
This fact sheet uses the Louisiana Department of Health’s Onsite Wastewater Program and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2022 Clean Watersheds Needs Survey. The EPA survey reports long-term capital needs in January 2022 dollars. Louisiana Department of Health figures are shown exactly as published on the agency’s program page.
Need to cite this page? Suggested citation: Stewie’s Drains, “Louisiana Wastewater & Sewer Statistics,” updated November 10, 2026, https://stewiesdrains.org/louisiana-wastewater-statistics.
For a direct reference, link to the individual statistic using its heading above, such as permitted onsite wastewater systems in Louisiana.
PRACTICAL HELP, CLOSE TO HOME
Get a straight answer about what the water is doing and what to do next.