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Headline: Business Owner Unhappy With Water
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
Although the City of Opelousas is taking steps to improve its water quality with help from state loans and grants, at least one unhappy commercial customer says a consistent low pressure issue may force him to move his business elsewhere.
Mike Kidder, owner of Daigle Welding Supply, told the Board of Aldermen on Tuesday night that a city water line that is supplying his business is providing insufficient pressure..
Often Kidder asserted, there is also an ongoing problem of sewage contamination at the business that Kidder said was first established in 1952.
One of his options due to the water issue, Kidder said, is to close the Opelousas commercial site for Daigle Welding and perhaps move the supply company to Lafayette Parish.
“I can’t get water. It sometimes takes 10 minutes to flow. There are times when I have my kids fill up jugs of water and pour the water into the toilets just to get them to flush. My ground has become contaminated and is seeping into the ground. I am just asking if there is any way to get the water fixed,” Kidder said.
Kidder, Mayor Julius Alsandor and Public Works Director Travis Van Wright all agreed that the three of them have reviewed the Daigle Welding matter before.
Alsandor admitted that some of their discussions have at times been acrimonious.
“You have come in and spoken with us and some of those discussions have been unpleasant,” Alsandor said.
Kidder maintained that the problem can be traced to issues with the three-inch line that runs on the west side of the building.
“Can we at least find out where my water is coming from? No one knows, Can you find my existing lines?” Kidder said.
Van Wright said he suspects that the business has a septic tank problem. Van Wright added that in his opinion, Kidder is attempting to blame the water problems on the city.
Kidder left the meeting abruptly after presenting the issue to the Board of Aldermen and did not respond to the claim by Van Wright that there could be a septic tank problem affecting the water and contamination issue.
The Board took no action on the matter.
