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St. Charles Parish to take ownership of Cross Bayou pump station; Pontchartrain Levee District to pay $7.5 million
Summary
Council approved a cooperative endeavor agreement to transfer ownership, operation and maintenance of the Cross Bayou pump station from the Pontchartrain Levee District to St. Charles Parish. The levee district will pay $3.5 million up front in January 2025 and $1 million per year thereafter until $7.5 million is paid.
The St. Charles Parish Council unanimously approved a cooperative endeavor agreement on Dec. 16 to transfer the Cross Bayou pump station from the Pontchartrain Levee District (PLD) to St. Charles Parish. The PLD will provide a total of $7.5 million to the parish for required improvements and a phased transition of responsibilities.
The agreement requires an initial payment of $3.5 million expected in January 2025, followed by annual payments of $1 million until the $7.5 million total is reached. Parish officials said the funds will help bring the station’s major components up to current operational standards and enable integration with the parish’s remote operation and maintenance systems.
Parish President Jewell and parish engineering staff said the handover will allow the parish to operate the station directly and to reduce long‑term operations and maintenance costs by aligning Cross Bayou with the parish’s existing maintenance program. “We anticipate maintenance and operations costs will come down once the station is incorporated into our program,” a parish engineer told the council during the presentation.
Planned work includes installing remote telemetry, upgrading fuel delivery and day tanks, adding automatic lubrication for gearboxes and improving cooling systems for reliability during outages. Parish staff said PLD’s historical knowledge and personnel will likely continue to be used on a consulting basis during the transition.
Why it matters: The transfer consolidates local control of a critical drainage asset and makes the parish fully responsible for operation, maintenance and repairs. The agreement also preserves existing cooperative arrangements for other pump stations and clarifies that the $7.5 million applies only to Cross Bayou.
Outcome and next steps: The council approved the agreement (file 20240410) unanimously. Parish staff said they will finalize deed and permit transfers and proceed with the prioritized improvements after receipt of the initial payment. Parish officials said the first construction and operational upgrades should begin in early 2025 once funds are received and contracts are in place.
