FERRIDAY &8212; A settlement has been reached in the 1999 Ferriday drinking water case.

The case &8212; Martello v. the City of Ferriday and Owen and White, Inc. &8212; was in courts for over five years.

The case stems from a 124-day long boil water notice the city issued in 1999 in response to a breakdown in Ferriday&8217;s water treatment plant.

Gloria Mortello, owner of a Ferriday restaurant at the time &8212; Brocato&8217;s &8212; filed the lawsuit against the city seeking damages against the Ferriday and the firm that built the plant.

She cited losses incurred because of effects from the boil notice.

&8220;We have come to a settlement, the town of Ferriday, and the class action people,&8221; Ferriday Mayor Gene Allen said.

Martello filed claims for all those within the class affected. Only class members will be allowed to make claims. Class members must be in one of the following categories:

4You must be a resident of the town of Ferriday between Aug. 20 and Dec. 22, 1999, and your residence got its water from the town of Ferriday.

4You owned and operated a business in the town of Ferriday between Aug. 20 and Dec. 22, 1999, and your business got its water from the town of Ferriday.

4You owned and rented out either residential and or commercial property in the town of Ferriday between Aug. 20 to Dec. 22, 1999 and your property got its water from the town of Ferriday.

4You worked at a business in the Town of Ferriday between Aug. 20, 1999 and Dec. 22, 1999 and your workplace got its water from the town of Ferriday Water Plant

4You were a school student or a patient in a health care facility in the town of Ferriday between Aug. 20 and Dec. 22 and your school or health care facility got its water from the town of Ferriday Water Plant.

If you are a member of one of these categories and did not opt out of the class before Feb. 24, 2003, you are eligible to participate in a settlement of the case resulting from the 1999 &8220;boil water order&8221; issued to the town of Ferriday.

The court gave preliminary approval to the settlement on June 23, 2006. The total value of the settlement is $2,537,500. The class counsel is asking for the court to approve an incentive award for each of the five class representatives. Attorney fees and court costs will also be paid with the money.

&8220;There is a hope that the people who file a claim will get money,&8221; Attorney Charles S. Norris said. &8220;Everybody that can file a claim will and the files will be screened and examined. We&8217;re just trying to get the word out and if people were affected we will try to help them get a claim.&8221;

August 11, 2006 is the deadline to file a claim. The official notice is posted in the Concordia Parish Clerk of Courts office in the courthouse.