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 LBWS Announces Major Upgrade Funding

BOBBY ARDOIN

Editor/Consulting Writer

The Lewisburg-Bellevue Water System which includes a significant portion of St. Landry and Acadia parishes, announced the acceptance of $940,000 in state capital outlay and direct appropriation funding, which the water district will use to provide infrastructure improvements.

During a Wednesday afternoon press conference held at the water district office on La. 357, board members said that the state revenues will be used immediately for improvements to the main tower and customer water lines, installation of fire hydrants, insertion valves, office improvements and water meters.

According to water system treasurer Derrick Comeaux, $490,000 received for the upgrades is direct appropriation funding from the state treasury,

The money from this portion of the grant will be utilized for upgrading water meters and refurbishing the water tower located on 357. No matching funds are required for this part of the revenues, according to a press release issued by the water district.

Another $450,000 received by the water system is capital outlay funding, which the press release says requires a 20 percent or $90,000 revenue match that the LBWS has put aside from customer infrastructure fees.

Capital outlay revenues will be used to cover the costs for the initial phases of upgrading all Village of Lewisburg water lines for the first time in 70 years, the press release said.

Comeaux and water system president and CEO Seth Ortego said after the press conference that in January the LBWS hired a lobbying firm that worked in conjunction with state lawmakers Dustin Miller, Gerald Boudreaux and Phillip Devillier who helped obtain all the funding.

Miller was present during the Wednesday announcement ceremony that was also attended by several of the LBWS board members.

The press release indicates that it will cost the water district approximately $660,000 to fund the installations of about 3,000 new water meters. The remaining costs for the meters will be paid from the monthly infrastructure fees collected from monthly customer bills.

“(The water district) has no plans to go into debt or take out expensive loans on behalf of the corporation to do any of these improvements. All projects will be paid through state funding and funds from the infrastructure improvement fees,” the press release said.

Improving the Lewisburg village water lines is apparently a significant project, the press release said.

Six-inch water lines will replace the older lines from La. 358 and all small diameter non-plastic lines will be replaced with new three-inch main lines. 

Seven new hydrants will replace along the new six-inch main water lines.

The LBWS which began in 1969, now serves 2,750 households, Comeaux said during an interview.

In 2023 the Louisiana Department of Health applied an A+ grade for the LBWS, which serves much of south and western rural St. Landry, Comeaux added. 

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