HOW SAFE IS THE DRINKING WATER IN FRANKLIN?

By: Howard J. Castay, Jr.

City leaders have agreed to ask the State Bond Commission for $2.3 million to repair their 40 year old water plant – a move City Mayor Raymond Harris said will be a first in the history of the facility, but also a move that comes in the wake of a report issued 40 months ago from a state public health inspector, which indicates a poor water disinfection, among other items.

The City of Franklin supplies water to 3,100 paying customers, which benefits roughly 9,000 people, Harris said.

“Blame it on a lack of funds more than anything,” Harris said, who is beginning his first full-term in office as Mayor of the St. Mary Parish governmental seat.

Harris replaced long-time Franklin Mayor Sam Jones, who left office to take a cabinet job with former Gov. Kathleen Blanco around 2004. Jones won an election this past November, to become Louisiana State Representative-District 50, for the Franklin and Jeanerette areas, along with Berwick, Bayou Vista, Patterson, and Stephensville.

On April 15, Harris said the Franklin City Council agreed to a $2.3 million, 30 year bond issue, to borrow the money from state government, at a rate of 3.9 percent. He said final approval rests with the State Bond Commission, before the improvements can begin.

“I really don’t know whether or not if this facility has ever been upgraded,” Harris said.

The mayor pointed to a report dated Oct 18, 2004, which listed 17 violations connected with the plant, which is located across Bayou Teche and west of the Eastwood Subdivision. The report was written in letter form, signed by District 1 State Office of Public Health Regional Engineer, John G. Williams.

Dr. Gary Wiltz, Chief Medical and Executive Officer of Teche Action Clinic in Franklin, said that while the violations are of concern and its needs a must, “The city water, for the most part , is safe.”

However, Wiltz said the age of the city’s water pipes, not only in Franklin but in Charenton as well, should have been placed as a priority years ago, even with help from the Parish Council.

“When I arrived in the area in the mid 70’s, there was no sewerage in some areas. We had to get a grant in order for proper sewerage to be installed,” Wiltz said. "I know of some instances, right now, where someone in Charenton is turning on the water faucet in their kitchen, and the water pouring out is somewhat brown in color.”

“The infrastructure of both areas is poor, and we need to get the funds in here to take care of it,” Wiltz said.

Harris said to his knowledge, maybe one or two violations were corrected but, “frankly, that’s why we’re overhauling the entire plant, to correct these problems.”

The State Office of Public Health cited these items as violations inside the Franklin water plant, in October of 2004, which to Harris’ knowledge for the most part, still exist:

*"The facility failed to submit plans and specifications for changes made to the point of disinfection.”

*The plant’s individual filter instrumentation…” is inoperable.”

*The water treatment process is “compromised” due to corrosion.

*In some instances, “complete refurbishment may require that a unit be shut down…cathodic protection systems should also be considered to reduce or inhibit future corrosion of metal exposed to water or oil.”

*”Filter valves “are not being maintained and have exceeded their design life…The poor condition of the filter valves is adversely affecting the functioning of the filter treatment process”

*Improper weighing scales for chlorine.

*”This public water system is not being operated by a person whose competency has been duly certified by the state health officer for the type of facility and the population it serves.”

*Respiratory protection equipmen had not been provided in the event of a chlorine gas leak.

*No stand-by tanks provided for chlorine.

*No risk management program in place for using toxic or flammable substances at the plant, like chlorine.

*No chlorine leak repair kits visible, in the event of a chlorine leak emergency.

*Piping in the plant and the intake plumbing station are “generally in poor condition with respect to corrosion and paint.”

The report states, “Unit packages of PVC pipe, stored at the plant’s yard next to the above ground storage tank, are located directly on the ground surface in areas that are observed to be periodically flooded. Recommended actions to correct this violation include…When long term storage with exposure to direct sunlight is unavoidable, PVC pipe should be covered with an opaque material while permitting adequate air circulation above and around the pipe as required to prevent excessive heat accumulation.”

The report also includes this paragraph: “Water suppliers shall be responsible to insure the protection of the water supply system from potential contamination from certain of their customers through containment practices…as directed by the State Health Officer.”