St. Charles’ $8M loan will upgrade sewer system

Aimed at stopping sewer backups

St. Charles Parish President Larry Cochran got council approval to finalize getting a low-interest $8 million loan aimed at addressing sewage overflows.

Public Works Director Clayton “Snookie” Faucheux said the state has approved the 20-year loan at .95 percent interest and the documentation is complete for the loan and filed with the state at the Council’s Nov. 28 council meeting.

Parish President Larry Cochran said the loan is intended to address and correct numerous compliance orders that we have been under for the last eight years from the state Department of Environmental Quality relating to overflows and bypasses in the parish.

“This is important for our residents as it will include upgrades to the ultraviolet (disinfection) system at the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Hahnville, upgrades to a sewer force main in Hahnville Mozella-Paradis, and upgrades to the Luling Oxidation Pond,” Cochran said.

He added, “Remaining funds will be used to address leaking sewer lines throughout the parish.”Passed unanimously, the resolution authorizes Cochran to sign the paperwork for a loan that will go toward projects already approved in a two- to five-year plan, Faucheux said.

The loan is being made with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality State Revolving Loan Program to upgrade pump stations, gravity sewers and a lagoon in the parish along with miscellaneous sanitary sewer work.

“Our present pumps are incapable of transporting our peak wet weather flow,” according to the resolution.The loan will finance upgrades to the ultraviolet disinfection system at the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Hahnville, as well as upgrades to sewer force mains in Hahnville, Mozella and Paradis.

The funds will also pay for upgrades to an oxidation pond in Luling and to fix leaking sewer lines throughout the parish.

The work is slated to start after the beginning of the year, according to St. Charles officials, and will last two to five years.

According to Babin, the parish will pay back the loan through its wastewater facility millage, a 2.2-mill tax that was renewed in 2015 and is to last for 30 years. In 2015, the parish estimated the tax would bring in $2.2 million by 2017 for operations and maintenance of the wastewater system.

By 2026, the parish could generate $47 million through bonds for the Wastewater Department, enough to build $41 million worth of wastewater projects affecting all council districts.