(The Center Square) — The Louisiana Water Sector Commission met this week to discuss various projects designed to improve Louisiana’s drinking water infrastructure.
There were three type of requests at Thursday’s meeting for the commission from city representatives and engineers: Deadline extensions, project scope changes, and additional funding.
Delcambre Waste Water asked the commission for a 4-month extension to provide verification of match funds.
It’s been extended a couple times before so members wanted to ensure they can match the money given Delcambre Waste Water needed evidence that they can match funds before applying for the project.
Todd Vincent with the engineers for the town says they are still certain they are going to obtain a state Department of Environmental Quality loan, but they were waiting on a rate study to continue the long process.
That motion carried.
Calcasieu Parish requested an extension as well, this one for bid advertising. Representatives say they are trying to acquire servitudes right now for the $2.5 million project of about a mile in waterline. They still expect to finish construction by the end of 2026.
That motion carried.
St. Martinville had two requests. One was asking for a 30-day extension to advertise for bids. The extension request is necessary to complete permit processes with the Department of Transportation and Development.
The city also wanted a extension to submit plans and specs. They are waiting for permit approvals for the well site. Their proposed timeline is that all construction would be complete by Aug. 2026.
Both motions carried.
Jeanerette representatives told the commission their city sewer project needs to reduce the bid match commitment from 107% to 87% by replacing 1 million of ARPA funds with capitol outlay funds.
They also wanted a four-month extension to provide match fund verification once the motion is approved.
Both motions carried.
Point Coupee Parish was the first to ask for a change in project scope.
The parish wanted to remove booster pumps from a water project. The current system has not seen water quality issues like they expected and this change would reduce maintenance and electrical cost in future.
Engineers from the parish asked to push this request to next month’s meeting so they can be sure this is the right decision. Despite it coming forward in this meeting, the committee obliged.
Shreveport wants to do the opposite: Increase the scope and include previously planned rehabilitation projects to a Caddo-Bossier port storage tank. This will address additional critical water issues that weren’t previously apart of approved bids.
That motion carried.
The Southwest Avoyelles Parish Waterworks District wants to do the opposite, requesting to remove one ground storage tank to reduce cost of their project.
That motion carried.
For additional funding, three city’s or entities asked for more funds from the commission, all of which was a result of the project coming in over the previously stated budget.
Those are the Ebarb Waterworks District, requesting $261,432, the Estherwood village, requesting $379,623, and the Louisiana Water Company, requesting $172,096.
All three were approved.
