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St. Martinville council adopts ordinance allowing city to install backflow preventers and place liens for nonpayment
Summary
The council adopted Ordinance 25-01 to strengthen enforcement of cross-connection (backflow) requirements, allowing the city to contract to install backflow preventers after 90 days of noncompliance and to place a lien for unpaid installation costs.
The Mayor and City Council of the City of St. Martinville on Jan. 6 adopted Ordinance 25-01 amending the city’s Cross Connection Control Ordinance to add enforcement remedies for building owners who fail to install required backflow preventers.
Under the new paragraph, if a water customer does not install a required backflow preventer within 90 days after written demand, the city may contract with an independent plumber to have the device installed and charge the direct costs to the customer. If the customer does not reimburse the city for installation and testing, the debt may be recorded as a lien on the property and the city may pursue enforcement actions authorized by law.
The ordinance was offered by Councilman Mike Fuselier and seconded by Councilwoman Janise Anthony; the minutes record the ordinance as adopted. The minutes include a vote listing yeas for M. Fuselier, C. Frederick, J. Fontenette, J. Anthony and F. Chatman. The meeting record contains an apparent typographical error listing the ordinance as declared adopted on Jan. 6, 2024; the council vote and meeting date in the minutes indicate adoption occurred at the Jan. 6, 2025 meeting.
City officials said the change is intended to give the city a faster, enforceable mechanism to address cross-connection risks that can threaten potable water systems when commercial plumbing is noncompliant. The ordinance text in the minutes specifies the 90-day notice period, the city’s option to contract for installation, charging the direct contract costs to the customer, and converting unpaid costs into a property lien.
The council took no other immediate amendments to fee or technical standards in the minutes; implementation steps (notice form, contractor selection, lien filing procedure) were not specified in the record and will require administrative follow-up.
