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South Central Planning outlines sewage-assistance program for Upper Bayou Terrebonne; low/mod households may get up to $4,000
Summary
South Central Planning and partners described an EPA-funded program that can provide up to $4,000 in full funding to low- and moderate-income households to repair failing individual sewage systems in the Upper Bayou Terrebonne watershed, with a pilot phase capped at about $200,000 for Terrebonne.
South Central Planning presented the Home Sewage Assistance Program to the Terrebonne Parish Council on Sept. 24, describing a multi-phase effort funded through EPA channels and regional partners to help low- and moderate-income residents repair or replace failing individual sewage systems in the Upper Bayou Terrebonne watershed.
Pat Gordon, the South Central Planning director, said the program has already completed phases in Lafourche Parish and that BETNEP (Bayou Estuary partnership) and LUMCON are primary federal-funding conduits. For Terrebonne the pilot approach targets the watershed area bounded roughly by Thibodaux and the Intracoastal Canal (north-south) and Highway 311 to Bayou Blue (east-west), with outreach to residents in more rural areas where individual systems remain common.
Eligibility and assistance levels described by Gordon:
- Low- and moderate-income households: up to $4,000 at 100% funding for repairs or upgrades to individual sewer systems. - Non-low/mod households: an initial $700 at 100% funding for simple pump-outs or minor repairs and up to 50% cost-share for more extensive work (up to $2,000 in some cases).
Gordon said the program focuses on cost-effective repairs such as pump-outs (about $700), replacement of aerators (about $1,700), or clearing out drain lines to restore function. South Central Planning will perform outreach, send inspectors to evaluate systems, and work with property owners who volunteer to participate. The presentation said the initial Terrebonne-phase cap is about $200,000 and that the program intends to expand throughout the Parish in later phases if funding and monitoring show positive results.
Council members asked about geography and phasing. Gordon said the next phase is scheduled to extend coverage by the end of the year and will include lower-bayou areas. Several councillors welcomed the program as a way to support residents who cannot afford system maintenance and to improve water quality in Bayou Terrebonne.
There was no formal vote recorded on the presentation; the item was informational and requested outreach to staff and parish administration to help publicize the program to qualifying residents.
