Gov't
Attorneys Propose Lawsuit Over Water Quality
By |
By Dave Freneaux
A meeting was called by private citizens and held Tuesday immediately after Central's City Council meting to discuss "brown water" problems in Central. About 60 citizens attended and were told by attorneys Patrick Pendley and Charlotte McDaniel McGehee that a lawsuit would be filed against Parish Water Company on a contingency basis if citizens would sign contracts to engage the attorneys. Sign up sheets were passed around to gather contact information from interested citizens.
The issue centers around citizens who experience periods where their water comes out with a brown coloration and sediment. Attorney Patrick Pendley, when asked what the goal of this effort is, stated "To get the water cleaned up and to get y'all some compensation for having to put up with this."
Roland Jackson, Vice President of Operations for Parish Water Company, spoke at the meeting and explained the processes in place to keep the water quality good in Central. The company intends to increase and continue the flushing of the lines and is increasing water sampling in the Central area. Mr. Jackson acknowledged that the issue exists but assured those gathered that the water is still safe, even when this issue occurs.
Addressing the meeting last was Jake Causey, the Chief Engineer for the Office of Public Health in the State Department of Health and Hospitals. Causey explained the source of "brown water" issues and detailed the testing processes in place to detect health hazards. He further shared that lead and copper monitoring that was slated to occur in 2013 has been rescheduled and will likely take place next month, but no unacceptable levels of these elements have been found in Central's water supply. The DHH continues to take fresh samples at all wells. Mr. Causey explained that while "brown water" may be unacceptable, the naturally occurring minerals such as manganese which can discolor water are not regulated as a primary contaminant and are not considered to be a health issue by the DHH.
Central Speaks has requested to be kept updated on the progress of this effort and will report any new information as it becomes available. For clarification, Parish Water Company is a private entity not associated with the City of Central.
1 Comment