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It’s time to give water department a bath
Published Monday, July 7, 2008
Turn the faucet handle and clean water flows out. That simple assumption is one that most Americans take for granted — unless, that is, you live in Ferriday.
For more than a dozen years, the water quality in Ferriday has been a constant battle.
In August 1999, a boil-water notice was issued and remained in effect for 120 straight days after the Louisiana Office of Public Health deemed the water unsafe due to persistent problems at the town’s water plant.
During the crisis as crews worked to make repairs at the water plant, residents were forced to line up at National Guard water tanks to obtain drinkable water.
In the almost 10 years since, the water system has been much more stable, but the water source remains questionable.
Ferriday and Concordia Parish leaders have considered drilling wells near Lake St. John and are now studying an option to raise the level of Old River — Ferriday’s current water source — in an effort to improve the quality.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture made $1.2 million in grant funds available to Ferriday back in 1999, just before the 120-day water crisis.
That money is still available, but no one has bothered coming up with a use for it.
Fortunately, new Mayor Glen McGlothin’s administration seems to be jumping into the water issues feet first.
Hopefully, if Ferriday’s leaders make this a top priority, one lingering stigma of Ferriday will go away once and for all and residents won’t think twice about having faith in the faucet again.
Comments
Posted by noneya (anonymous) on July 8, 2008 at 7:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Concordia Lake is closer....drill for your water there!
Posted by kpage (anonymous) on July 8, 2008 at 7:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ferriday's water woes have been the thorn in clothes lovers' sides across this town since I was a teen-ager (I'm almost 40). I can remember buying heavy duty cleaners to add to the wash water or my whites were gonna be dingy (if you could find it...hopped off the shelves too quickly)! It's still like that? Goooooodnite! Get 'em some help Glen...finally use that dadgum money earmarked for that very reason last century!
Posted by silly_willy_24_7 (anonymous) on July 8, 2008 at 8:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Fortunately, new Mayor Glen McGlothin’s administration seems to be jumping into the water issues feet first."
maybe if they would jump into the water issues head first, instead of feet first, something would finally be done. but this new administration does need the chance to fix the messes left from previous administrations.
Posted by kpage (anonymous) on July 8, 2008 at 8:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I still can't believe Ferriday has had this money all this time but the idiots couldn't figure how to use it. IT'S MONEY FOR WATER IMPROVEMENTS! Now how hard was that? Now go spend it on WATER IMPROVEMENTS. Hey Gene Allen and Company...still not get it? Ok, THE MONEY WAS FOR WATER IMPROVEMENT. Why did you not spend it when the CITY WAS BEING SUED FOR EXACTLY THAT? duh
Posted by ProNatchez (anonymous) on July 8, 2008 at 7:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Because the money would have been worth too much back then. It might have solved the problem. Now, it's just a drop in the bucket, so to speak. (pun intended)
Posted by jlm448 (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Filth for filth, I say
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