The Louisiana Department of Health’s Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund (DWRLF) has awarded a $4 million loan to the Livingston Parish Ward 2 Water District to enhance the quality of drinking water for the district’s residents.
Enhancing Water Metering Systems
This loan will fund the installation of new Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) water meters, a move aimed at improving the accuracy and efficiency of water usage tracking. The Ward 2 Water District, the largest rural water district in Louisiana, serves over 26,000 customers and has long been plagued by the need to hire third-party readers for meter readings.
The new system will replace those unreliable and less accurate third-party readings with a remotely monitored, more efficient system that can be checked for potential damage or tampering. This will also allow for more precise billing and quick detection of any issues.
Benefits of the New System
Project Engineer Toby Fruge from Owen and White emphasized that the new AMR meters will enable remote monitoring and more accurate billing, improving the overall service for customers. Additionally, the system will alert customers to potential leaks early, enabling local plumbers to fix problems before high water costs occur.
Cookie Killcrease, the Ward 2 Water Office Manager, stated that the new system will allow for more efficient management of water usage, focusing resources on quality management and helping identify potential issues far quicker than before.
Federal Support via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The funding for this project is provided through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which offers support to rural water systems in Louisiana.
The DWRLF General Supplemental Fund allocates $28.7 million annually to these rural systems. For the Ward 2 Water District, the loan offers 49% principal forgiveness, meaning $1.96 million of the loan is forgiven. The remaining $2.04 million is available at a low-interest rate of 2.45%.
Positive Impact for Rural Water Systems
Scott Templet, the Deputy Chief Engineer of Infrastructure and Finance at the Office of Public Health with the Louisiana Department of Health, praised the BIL General Supplemental Loan program as a cost-effective solution for improving service in the state’s rural water districts. He congratulated the Ward 2 Water District for taking advantage of this funding to improve the drinking water quality for its customers.
Background on the Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund
The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) programs were established by Congress in 1996 as part of amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act. These programs have been a vital tool in helping rural water districts throughout the nation make necessary improvements to ensure safe and reliable drinking water for communities.
