Plaquemines officials blame aging infrastructure, not drinking water quality, for low state grades

Parish officials on June 11 told the Plaquemines Parish Council that recent low state grades for several local water systems are driven by aging infrastructure and administrative noncompliance, not by unsafe drinking water.

At a multi‑hour presentation, InfraMark consultants and parish water staff reviewed system‑by‑system deductions and recovery steps. A presenter said many deductions came from administrative orders tied to a lack of permanent backup generators, saltwater intrusion in isolated storage tanks and low chlorine residuals in dead‑end lines. “Most of these deductions are not reflective of the quality of water that we’re pushing to the public,” the InfraMark presenter said, urging council members to distinguish operational test results from infrastructure grade penalties.

The presentation included district‑level detail: Port Sulphur received the lowest overall grade because the plant lacks permanent generators and experienced saltwater intrusion that elevated certain contaminants; Belle Chasse lost points tied to overdue water‑tower repairs; other districts saw deductions for low chlorine residuals caused largely by long, low‑use dead‑end lines.

Officials stressed that compliance sampling and operational tests continue to meet public‑health standards. “We do it daily,” a water official said, describing a sampling regimen of more than 35 routine stations in Belle Chasse alone and state cross‑checks for bacteriology. Staff repeatedly told residents and council members that flush operations — mandated by the state — are necessary to maintain chlorine residuals even when residents dislike seeing water flushed into gutters.

Practical steps and funding were also presented. Officials said they expect roughly $700,000 in capital outlay for an initial phase of water‑tower repairs and are seeking movement of a $6 million item from a lower priority (P5) into a higher priority slot next fiscal year to complete additional work. Staff described plans to create looped feeds and dual‑feed projects to reduce dead‑end lines and improve chlorine circulation in districts such as Port Sulphur and Homeplace.

Council members and residents raised related concerns: frequent “sand in water” complaints at businesses and restaurants, isolated instances of high water bills reportedly tied to leaks, and the need for a transparent meter‑replacement and billing‑review program. Officials said they would investigate specific complaints and offer bill credits when a verified customer‑side leak is confirmed. “If you fix the leak, we will give you a credit,” the water official said, promising to follow up on individual accounts.

The parish also described operations to reduce future compliance risks — replacing aging meters, targeting tower repairs in phases, and pursuing grant funding and federal assistance for larger projects. Officials asked the council for ongoing budget support and for help moving capital requests higher in statewide priority lists.

Next steps: parish staff will provide council members with a more detailed capital schedule and cost estimates for the loop‑feed projects, follow up on residents’ billing investigations, and continue outreach about the reason for the state grades. Council members asked staff to return with a written timeline for the funded phase and the steps needed to request the $6 million reclassification.