NEW ORLEANS — Carnival season is all about family and having fun, but after the floats have rolled by, the marching bands have stopped playing and the throws are gone — a lot of mess is left behind.
Last year, 46 tons of beads were found in clogged catch basins. This year, city officials hope that a device called 'gutter buddies' will prevent more garbage from going down the drain.
Dustin Miller lives on Uptown parade route and said he thinks guarding the gutters is a great idea.
"They get clogged up with regular debris so it's great to keep all the throws out of there and keep that from becoming an issue," Miller said.
Orange gutter buddies have been installed up and down the parade route. They can already been seen stopping leaves from going in the drains, in the same way they're designed to stop throws from going down as well.
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More than 250 gutter buddies are along the Uptown route. Starting next week, more will be installed along the Endymion route as well.
New Orleans' Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Ramsey Green said this is a way to maintain the city drainage system.
"46 tons of Mardi gras beads," Green said. "What we have learned is: Let's keep that out in the first place."
The gutter buddies are designed to allow water through but prohibit debris. Officials also hope they will save the city money; in 2017, after the floods in August the cost of cleaning drains was around $20 million.