Water/sewer concerns aired

A recent smoke testing of sewer lines, several major water line breaks and numerous ongoing leaks have highlighted the poor condition of the city’s infrastructure.
At the Aug. 3 city council meeting, a rambunctious discussion about Mayor Melinda Mitchell’s social media criticism of recently-enacted water and sewer rate hikes led to a reality check about the condition of the city’s underground utility system.
Last Friday afternoon, a six-inch water main on North Pinaud Street broke. Water service was out until about 3 a.m. on Saturday and again for several hours during the day. Superintendent Brian Touchet told the Teche News that the repair was slowed by the brittleness of the 60-year-old pipe. As the repair collar was tightened, he said, cracks kept extending outward from the break.
That was the second major break in a water line in recent weeks. They are becoming a constant problem, and the bill for long-term neglect of the system is coming due, according to Touchet and council members.

Mayor returns
Monday’s meeting was the first with Mitchell in attendance since June. She missed the July meetings after testing positive for COVID-19. And, as expected, Prosper was vociferous in his criticism of her social media comments about a rate increase that went into effect during her absence.
“It’s pitiful and pathetic that we have a leader who trashes this council like that,” he said. “Mayor, you have been told for three years, by the auditor you selected, that our rates have to be raised. You were in agreement. But you said it was done behind your back. That is completely false.”
Mitchell responded that she had sent an email to all council members saying that she wanted to wait for the results of a rate study by the Louisiana Rural Water Association (LRWA). She said no council member had answered the email.
Prosper responded that LRWA is not as familiar with the current needs of the city as the auditor, administrators and others who have long warned about the dangers of continued losses in the system.
“I’m going to wait for the LRWA study,” Mitchell insisted.
The recent rate hike, Prosper continued, is only a step towards stopping the red ink, a step that will do nothing to address the huge cost of repairs that are needed. “We are one incident away from a half-million-dollar problem and we are not even taking it seriously,” he said. Smoke testing of sewer lines, which has only been conducted on the east side of the bayou (Pinaudville), uncovered four major points where rain runoff is entering the sewer system. Many more can be expected when the testing resumes on the much larger west side of town.
Councilman Edmond Joseph, whose repeated absences from meetings was noted by Councilman Mike Fuselier, said there has been a minor water leak in front of his mother’s house for years. “We need to start holding our superintendent’s feet to the fire and get these problems addressed,” he commented.
Touchet took exception to that remark, saying, “That leak is very minor and there are at least ten minor leaks around town that have not been addressed because the department has been faced with repeated major breaks and problems that have to be given priority.”
He added that securing DOTD permits for excavating under state-maintained roadways often slows repairs.
“And add to that the fact that we have a manpower shortage of seven to eight men at the Public Works barn.”
Fuselier said, “The water and sewer situation is deplorable. We have waited years too long. We haven’t seen you (Joseph) here in months and now you talk as if nothing is being done.”
“I didn’t know Mike missed me so much,” Joseph commented after the meeting, saying he has missed meetings because of his job, to which Prosper said, “You are being paid to come to these meetings, too.”
Council member Dennis Paul Williams, commenting about Mitchell’s social media postings, said, “We know we have failed to keep the rates up with the costs. There are serious problems now. Please don’t make this personal by airing our dirty laundry in public. It’s about the community, not us.”