Seven of the 10 most distressed water systems in the state are in Central Louisiana, according to the governor’s Rural Water Infrastructure Committee.
The committee is tasked with helping at-risk water systems to address their issues before they reach a crisis point.
Among the 10 systems on the list are the Hammock Water System in Rapides Parish; the Rogers Community Water System and Town of Tullos Water System in LaSalle Parish; the Clarence Water System and Powhatan Water System in Natchitoches Parish; the Enterprise Water System in Catahoula Parish; and the Town of Clayton Water System in Concordia Parish.
(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) The list of 10 systems the Rural Water Infrastructure Committee came up with isn’t a list of the worst systems in the state, health officials are quick to point out, or even the ones with the most violations.
"All of our agencies have these resources," Durham said.
What can the committee do to help struggling water systems?
Parish: Rapides Population served: 900 The issues: The system has been cited several times, dating back to 2010, for levels of arsenic above the acceptable standard.
Parish: LaSalle Population served: 495 The issues: Rogers has been under a system wide boil advisory due to holes in its storage tank, which could allow contaminants to get into the water.
Parish: LaSalle Population served: 792 The issues: The system has been under an administrative order for several years for not meeting the Disinfection Byproducts Rule, a federal regulation designed to prevent contaminants from forming in water when it’s treated with chemicals.
The system has been cited for levels of trihalomethanes above the acceptable standard several times since 2014.