56 DECEMBER 2021 WorldWide Drilling Resource® RENEW - SUBSCRIBE NOW! New Water Plant Filters for Sulphur, Louisiana Compiled by Editorial Staff of WorldWide Drilling Resource® Infrastructure has been a buzz word lately, and Louisiana is no stranger to the problems associated with aging infrastructure. “Over 50% of Louisiana water systems have infrastructure that is over 50 years old,” said Governor John Bel Edwards. “They are expensive to repair and modernize, but they are absolutely essential to the health of the community.” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated Louisiana’s 20-year funding needs for drinking water infrastructure is over $7 billion. The City of Sulphur, Louisiana knows firsthand how aging infrastructure, particularly water systems, can impact the local population. Earlier this year, a winter storm caused unusually low temperatures in the teens, so residents dripped faucets to prevent water in pipes from freezing. This, combined with water leaks discovered after the thaw began, caused a dip in water pressure and levels. Help arrived in the form of $1.6 billion federal funds for Louisiana, with $300 million going to local water and sewer systems. Sulphur Mayor Mike Danahay said, “The funding is absolutely a necessary thing . . . the water’s going to be funded in the current fiscal year. The next fiscal year, the water plant improvements. Certainly, we want to focus on wastewater as well.” Since 2019, Mayor Danahay and city workers have been providing temporary fixes, but they are planning long-term solutions now. Sulphur’s allocation of $7.4 million will jump-start the process. One of the first things the city plans is to completely replace the water system filter vessels. They have already used funds from the city’s budget to make improvements to the water system, so the new funds will more than likely be used in the next fiscal year once the city’s water filter project and water well installations are complete. Sulphur recently completed a two-milliongallon ground storage water tank and anticipates making improvements to its water well system with the additional funding. The council authorized the city to accept bids on water filters for the Verdine Water Plant. This action was, in part, to decrease the amount of iron in the water causing discoloration, something Sulphur residents see running from their faucets from time to time. Previously, the city tried a temporary fix by replacing the media in the current vessels, but since then, the water vessels holding those media filters have become too deteriorated. In May, Sulphur accepted a bid of from ETEC Services for new eight-foot Manganese Greensand pressure filters. The replacement should be completed by the end of the month. The second part of the project includes a pretreatment system to remove a lot of the iron content prior to the water entering the filters. Until this is completed, the city plans to continue to flush out water when it contains sediments or decolorization. Flushing the line will ensure clear drinking water for residents. Sulphur city officials have maintained the water, although discolored, is regularly tested by the Louisiana Department of Health and has been found safe to drink. Sulphur, Louisiana City Hall. WTR
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