Plaquemines officials outline water and sewer master plan, prioritize transmission-line repairs after storm-related failures

Plaquemines Parish council members heard an update Thursday on a parishwide water and sewer master plan and on immediate fixes after a snowstorm and a vehicle strike that knocked out a key hydrant and reduced West Bank water service.

The consultant team and parish operations staff said the most urgent problem is aging transmission lines—many cast-iron segments—and deteriorating valves that reduced system pressure when the hydrant was destroyed. Robert Nocton, a Lynnfield Hunter consultant, told the council the study has identified an initial list of capital projects and “in our initial estimates, over $200,000,000 of projects that we would recommend.” He said consultants will prioritize projects to “give the most bang for the buck” and produce phases grant applications can use.

Why it matters: council members said the system’s weak links turned a single collision into a multi-area service disruption. Officials said a coordinated approach—targeted line replacements, additional storage and an under-river feed to the East Bank—would reduce the need for temporary measures such as reverse osmosis units and limit future boil-water advisories.

What officials told the council

- Transmission lines and cast-iron mains: Parish operations staff described widespread cast-iron and otherwise brittle lines, especially on the East Bank and in English Turn, that lower pressure, dissipate chlorine residuals and increase flushing needs. A parish operations speaker said the transmission lines are “in dire needs of our repair,” and urged crews and funders to prioritize those replacements.

- Valves and pressure control: Council members and staff said valves that should have isolated the accident failed to seat; the parish has identified several valves for replacement. Officials said the 60-to-70-year-old valve hardware contributed to the inability to isolate the hydrant break and preserve pressure despite the plants having water available.

- Plants, storage and river crossing: Operations staff and consultants described work to increase Belle Chasse output and storage. Robert Morgan (water operations) reported the parish is increasing the Belle Chasse Water Facility to 9 million gallons per day (MGD) now and is planning for further increases toward 15 MGD; the aim is to make Belle Chasse the West Bank hub. Consultants and staff also described plans for a 24‑inch water main to be bored under the river to feed the East Bank, which officials said would provide an independent feed and relieve saltwater intrusion exposure.

- Reverse osmosis and saltwater intrusion: Speakers said expanded plant capacity and an under-river connection are long-term strategies the parish prefers to reliance on truck-mounted or temporary reverse-osmosis (RO) units. Officials noted RO units are still part of contingency planning but said the master plan work aims to make RO deployment a rare pivot rather than routine mitigation.

- Grants and cost-sharing: Ken Dugas (engineering staff) and Jeff DeMarco (administration/finance) outlined the parish’s grant strategy. Consultants said many projects will require state or federal grant funding and typical cost-shares; commissioners were told that even design work for a large project may require tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars in local match. DeMarco said parish water quality scores well but loses rating points because of aging infrastructure; he described a joint effort with InfraMark to supply the data for state ratings and grant applications.

Nut graf: Consultants said the master plan update will not only list major capital projects (pipelines, plants, river crossing) but will include a replacement program for cast-iron mains and valves. Because the parish already has multiple small grants and several larger grant applications in flight, the consultants and staff asked the council to accept a prioritized phasing so the parish can assemble shovel-ready packages with required local cost shares.

Details and timeline

- Master-plan update scope and timing: Lynnfield Hunter said it has mapped existing improvements and compiled a parishwide schematic. The firm estimated it is ready to finalize a draft within a few weeks after meeting with council members and staff, and expects a final report roughly three to four weeks after those follow-ups (consultants said a full update can be a six-to-nine month effort depending on data and design needs).

- Near-term fixes: Staff described valve replacements already underway and a short list of emergency valve repairs. The parish is also moving a particularly exposed hydrant at a highway curve back from the right-of-way to reduce collision risk.

- Storage and plant capacity: Officials are raising Belle Chasse capacity now (to 9 MGD) with longer-term objectives to reach 15 MGD. Port Sulphur and Boothville/Venice plants will be retained as operational backups; if a plant is shut for work the state requires recertification before restart, officials said.

Council reaction and next steps

Council members repeatedly pressed for a prioritized list they could review and for explicit cost estimates for the most critical segments—English Turn was cited repeatedly as an urgent corridor. Consultants said they would meet individually with council members and incorporate district-specific issues.

Jeff DeMarco said the parish has set aside $1.5 million as a grant match account and confirmed administration and the consultant team will produce shovel-ready designs to speed grant applications. Consultants asked the council to identify priorities for the next funding rounds and said they will circulate a draft schematic of major projects for comment.

Ending: Consultants said the updated master plan will combine longer-term capital projects—under-river crossings, larger plant capacity and dual 20‑inch feed lines—with a structured replacement program for aging mains and valves so the parish can sequence grant requests, meet cost-share requirements and reduce the risk that a single accident will again cripple a large service area.

Speakers quoted (first reference uses full name and role)

- Robert Nocton, Lynnfield Hunter (consultant): “In our initial estimates, over $200,000,000 of projects that we would recommend.” - Robert Morgan, Plaquemines Parish water operations (staff): “The transmission lines are in dire needs of our repair.” - Jeff DeMarco, Finance/Administration (staff): “Our water quality is probably one of the best in the metropolitan area.”

Discussion vs decision

- Discussion: The meeting included a technical presentation of findings, a call for district-level follow-ups with the consultants, and council direction to prioritize repairs to transmissions lines, valves and storage. - Direction/assignment: Staff was asked to provide a prioritized list, and the consultant agreed to meet with council members individually to refine the draft and incorporate district concerns. - Formal action: Council did not adopt the master plan at the meeting; several budget requests and equipment purchases were taken up elsewhere on the agenda.

Topics: water-infrastructure, master-plan, emergency-response, grants

Provenance: topicintro evidence span (consultant introduction): block_id:b_510 local_start:0 local_end:120 evidence_excerpt:"We've got Robert, knocked in and, Anthony Goodjohn, with Linfield Hunter to let us give us an update on the sewer and water, master plan"; topicfinish evidence span (consultant wrap-up): block_id:b_3834 local_start:0 local_end:120 evidence_excerpt:"We are at the point of prioritizing and finalizing and now we're meeting with counsel. Have you not met with anybody from counsel prior to this point that lived this every day down Southern End and East Bank?"