The 17th Street, Orleans Avenue and London Avenue Outfall Canals serve as drainage conduits for much of the City of New Orleans with the 17th Street Canal also serving as a drainage conduit for portions of East Jefferson Parish.

As part of the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the Permanent Canal Closures and Pumps (PCCP) at a cost of $615 million. The PCCP control centers were constructed to withstand 200 mph winds at three second gusts and 155 mph sustained winds.

The PCCPs are located at or near the mouths of each outfall canal and include permanent vertical drop gates that are closed in advance of a tropical storm when the water levels are elevated in Lake Pontchartrain. The PCCPs also house massive pumps that remove rainwater, past the closed gates and into Lake Pontchartrain while the barriers are closed.