Administration brings in Nalco to review water system

 ST. JOHN – Parish officials have asked a local industry and global water treatment leader, Nalco, to perform an audit of the LaPlace Water system. Following yet another setback last month at the NANO water treatment facility, Acting Chief Administrative Officer Buddy Boe met with Nalco officials and requested an independent review be performed by Nalco. The review will review the current system, the NANO facility, and the steps that need to be taken by the administration to solve the LaPlace water system's quantity and quality problem. Nalco will be on site December 1, 2009 to being their review.

            In 2005, the NANO system was selected as the solution to solve LaPlace's water quality problem stipulated in the Administrative Order issued by the Department of Health and Hospitals in 2004.  The voters of St John passed a $9.5 million bond issue in 2004 to finance the water system improvements required by the Administrative Order. The NANO system was originally going to be turned on in August of 2007. Following several design modifications and changes, the system was turned on in January of 2009.  In August of 2009, St. John was issued another administrative order by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals regarding the LaPlace water quality issue. Simultaneously, the NANO system shut itself down when the filtering system caused a pressure problem.  The NANO system is part of the larger LaPlace water system which serves all of LaPlace.

            "There is no easy fix but we are committed to getting to the bottom of this," said Acting Parish President Pat McTopy.

            The NANO system is designed to produce 3.825 million gallons of water per day. The demand for the LaPlace area is 5 million gallons per day on average. During the summer, the demand is even higher in the LaPlace area. Therefore, the LaPlace water demand must be met with a combination of water storage tanks and towers and by using water from the Lions Water Treatment Plant in Reserve.

            "We have to gain the public's trust back in the LaPlace water system and Nalco's report will be the first step in that process. This is the main priority for my administration because it has gone on for too long; but we will provide the public with not only a short term fix but a true long term water solution," said Acting Parish President Pat McTopy.

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