St. Joseph residents to receive water through September because of lead contamination.
Their water has been coming from the state’s disaster relief stocks since Dec. 16.
Before St. Joe residents can brush their teeth with tap water again, the town’s entire water system will have to be replaced.
Even before lead was found in St. Joseph, for years the water often came out of the faucet brown and smelly leaving many not drink it if they didn’t have to, he said.
And children under the age six are the most vulnerable to lower IQs, hearing problems, anemia and other serious health problem caused by ingesting even small amounts of lead.
Guidry’s Office of Public Health continues testing throughout the town but his scientists have focused intensely on the 38 homes with the highest readings.
Guidry said he doesn’t know for sure yet, but judging from the years of tests that showed no lead contamination, he suspects that instability of St. Joseph’s system caused some of the old pipes and old repairs started flaking lead into the water.
St. Joseph’s water system, in an average month, costs $36,305 to operate but raises only $17,250 in revenues, according Greer’s report.
State money to replace the town’s water distribution lines became available on Jan. 22 and work has begun.
The court-appointed fiscal administrator also reported that refurbishing the treatment facility also has begun but the costs haven’t determined yet.