MONTZ — The Montz, Des Allemands and St. Rose water towers are scheduled to be demolished by St. Charles Parish at the end of 2018 or the first quarter of 2019 with no plans to replace them because officials say there is no need.

Waterworks Director Robbie Brou said there was less pressure and smaller distribution lines to the farthest points in the parish when the towers were first built.

“They served as localized storage and a backup for pressure to get water to those areas,” Brou said.

“Now that the parish has the river crossings (pipelines that connect the East and West Bank water) so storage is centrally located.

“This capability also provides for additional pressure.”

St. Charles has 10 million gallons of water storage between the East and West Bank treatment facilities and the average daily demand for water in 2017 was approximately 8.3 million gallons. The Taft water tower for example, only holds 500 thousand gallons of water.

Built in the 1960s, all three towers have been out of service for years. When demolished they will leave Taft as the only tower in the parish.

Officials said the towers eventually present a safety hazard for residents in the area and would cost the parish in ongoing maintenance fees if not demolished.

The St. Charles Parish Council awarded demolition contracts to Kuyrkendall & Associates, Inc. in June.