The primary reason people cannot swim in Lake Pontchartrain along the south shore is sewage pollution. Sewage also impacts nearly every river on the lake's north shore.

	Beneath the streets of the New Orleans area, there are thousands of cracked sewage pipes. These cracks allow sewage to mix with stormwater. The sewage is then pumped into Lake Pontchartrain through the canal system. As a result, "no swimming" signs are posted along the New Orleans and Jefferson Parish lakefront.
Many fishing camps, such as these in New Orleans East, lack adequate sewerage treatment systems.	Rapid growth has caused many sewage treatment plants on the lake's north shore to become overloaded. Massive sewage improvements are needed.

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