By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – St. John the Baptist Parish leaders will hold a public meeting in LaPlace Thursday to discuss implementation of a state mandated backflow prevention program to prevent contamination of the parish’s water supply.

The hearing is set for 6 p.m. Thursday in the council chambers at the Percy Hebert Building, 1801 W. Airline Highway, LaPlace, according to a parish release.

Earlier this year, the parish was hit with an administrative order from the state Department of Health and Hospitals regarding the LaPlace water system. One of the mandates included in this order is installation of cross connection and backflow prevention devices to protect the potable water supply.

Parish officials say about 1,200 customers in the LaPlace area could be affected by the mandate, which will begin implementation within the next 45 days.

Various websites for backflow prevention dealers explain that when pressure in water lines falls or gets disrupted, the reduced pressure can allow contaminated water from other sources to be drawn into the tap water system. Failures can also occur when there is unusually high demand on the system.

To prevent the contamination, health agencies recommend installation of some form of backflow prevention, whether it is an air gap or mechanical device.

The backflow assembly protects the potable water supply from contamination hazards, which can be severe.

“I encourage residents to attend the public hearing to receive specific information about the program and to have the opportunity to have their questions and concerns addressed,” said Parish President Natalie Robottom.