Opelousas awards water well rehab contract, hears detailed update on sewer rehab and service issues

The Opelousas City Council on May 13 accepted multiple reports from the city engineer and public works director and approved a contract award for a water-well rehabilitation project, subject to state loan approval.

William Jowell, city engineer, updated the council on several water and sewer projects and said the sewer collection system rehabilitation phase 1 is ongoing; the contractor on Bernice Street was delayed while awaiting a Cleco service pole installation. Jowell said the sewer work responds to a compliance order and inspection program from federal and state regulators; the city has committed to inspecting 10% of sewer lines annually and repairing defects discovered as part of a multi‑phase, multi‑year program.

Public Works Director Travis Vanwright reported that a boil advisory earlier in the Jasmine Drive area was lifted and summarized near‑term pavement and major project prep work. Vanwright and Council members discussed a longstanding service line and valve issue on Redmond Street; staff said repairs are delayed while a specific part is procured and while crews try to locate a buried valve that would allow the crew to isolate the line for repair.

In new business, the council voted to award the Water Well Rehabilitation Project (MGA project W309-3, LDH loan) to Griner Drilling Service Inc. in the amount of $825,957.90, “subject to LDH approval,” with the contract award recorded to proceed after loan closing. The award passed on a 5-1 recorded vote (Dalita Broussard voted no). The engineer noted funds for the project are tied to the water sector grant and an LDH loan; the council heard that the loan closing had not yet occurred and a notice to proceed would follow loan closing.

City finance staff also reviewed April financials: the general fund showed a small net loss for April attributed in part to three payrolls hitting month end; the water department showed revenue of about $306,000 and expenses of about $439,000 for an April loss of roughly $132,000; the citywide reported loss that month was approximately $331,000, with staff noting payroll timing as a contributing factor.

Jowell reiterated that sewer rehabilitation is a long-term program — he said inspection and rehabilitation work is planned to continue “over a 10 year period,” phased by inspection findings — and that repairs will focus on public lines first; private-property lateral issues were noted as separate and not addressed by the city’s public‑works construction contracts.

A member of the public asked who is responsible for flood or sewer backup on private property; staff and the engineer clarified the current city contracts cover public lines and that private-property issues remain the responsibility of property owners unless otherwise specified by future programs or grants.

Why it matters: The well rehabilitation award and the sewer rehabilitation program address core public‑health and service reliability needs. The LDH loan status and the staged, multi‑year repair plan are important to track because both affect timing of repairs and the city’s capital budget planning.