St. Charles citizens urged to conserve water usage
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, June 13, 2006
By LEONARD GRAY
Managing Editor
HAHNVILLE — While St. Charles Parish Waterworks are undergoing a system upgrade this summer, Waterworks Director Robert Brou is urging citizens to use water wisely during the hot summer months.
“We actually had a pretty good rain Thursday,” Brou said. “But I’m not telling people not to use the water, but don’t waste it. People aren’t going to let their lawns or gardens die.”
The parish’s website, under the Waterworks Department page, offers residents a host of suggestions to help conserve water usage, as Brou directed.
These include checking for leaks, as a leak of even one-eighth inch can leak almost 100,000 gallons a month. Unsuspected toilet leaks can be located by putting a bit of food coloring in the tank and watching, without flushing, if the coloring reaches the bowl.
Water should also not be run continuously while brushing teeth, shaving, washing dishes or washing a car. Limit bathwater and lengths of showers.
Water lawns or gardens in early mornings or late evenings. Use pool covers when not in use. Also, use dishwashers only with a full load.
The website also offers a few tips for children to help. These include only drinking what water will be used. Wash bicycles with a bucket of water instead of from a hose. Don’t run water constantly while brushing teeth.
The system upgrade will include the installation of a connecting pipeline beneath the Mississippi River. Recently, the St. Charles Parish Council approved a new water usage rate schedule, which will allow for the sale of revenue bonds to finance the system upgrade.
Brou said the most likely location for the river pipeline will be from the vicinity of LA 3160 in Hahnville to New Sarpy, placed at about 100 feet below the surface, depending upon soil conditions.
Two other sites were considered, both from Destrehan to Luling, but the Hahnville-New Sarpy site was considered the easiest to acquire the rights of way.
The new water use fee schedule adjusted to $4 for users of 6-10,000 gallons and $4.30 for more than 10,000 gallons. Under the new plan,
Brou said, 60 percent of the parish’s water customers have no increase. Other users of less amounts of water pay $2.20 per 1,000 gallons.
Brou said the total upgrade will include a new East Bank treatment plant, improvements to the West Bank facility and a connecting pipeline between the two.
On the West Bank, a $3 million filter bank installation will upgrade capacity from 9 million to 12 million gallons, to keep pace with anticipated population growth.
On the East Bank, a $12.5 million water treatment plant is hoped to begin construction in November 2006, with completion in May 2008.
The present facility is overwhelmed with water usage, which is straining the resources.
Design capacity for the present East Bank plant is 7 million gallons, and current usage averages 5 to 5.5 million gallons per day.
Finally, the river pipeline will provide a backup to supplement effective capacity for the East Bank, as summer comes on. Brou said he is trying to get that in place by July, but necessary permits are slowing progress.
