Franklin water plant upgrading

Forty months after a state public health inspector issued a report blasting the purity of Franklin’s water, city officials have agreed to ask the state Bond Commission for $2.3 million to repair the 40-year-old water plant.

In its 2004 report, the Louisiana Public Health Office cited 17 violations, including poor water disinfection.

The City of Franklin supplies water to 3,100 paying customers, which benefits roughly 9,000 people, said Mayor Raymond Harris. The water plant has never been upgraded.

“Blame it on a lack of funds more than anything,” he said.

The Franklin City Council agreed last Tuesday to a $2.3 million, 30-year bond issue at a rate of 3.9 percent. The city is borrowing from the state so improvements can begin, Harris explained. The final approval rests with the state Bond Commission.

In a report dated Oct. 18, 2004, and signed by District 1 State Office of Public Health Regional Engineer John G. Williams, Franklin’s water plant had 17 areas of concern. The facility is located across Bayou Teche, near the Eastwood Subdivision.

Speaking in defense of the water system, Dr. Gary Wiltz, chief medical and executive officer of the Teche Action Clinic, said Franklin’s water “for the most part, is safe.”

However, he agreed the water pipes in Franklin and Charenton should have been replaced years ago.

“When I arrived in the area in the mid-Seventies, there was raw sewerage in some areas. We had to get a grant in order for proper sewerage to be installed,” Wiltz said. “I know of some instances right now where someone in Charenton is turning on the water faucet in their kitchen, and the water pouring out is somewhat brown in color.”

“The infrastructure of both areas is poor, and we need to get the funds in here to take care of it,” he said.

The October 2004 Public Health Office report specifically cited the following violations:

• “The facility failed to submit plans and specifications for changes made to the point of disinfection.”

• The plant’s individual filter instrumentation …” is inoperable.”

• The water treatment process is “compromised” because of corrosion.

• In some instances, “complete refurbishment may require that a unit be shut down … cathodic protection systems should also be considered to reduce or inhibit future corrosion of metal exposed to water or oil.”

• Filter valves “are not being maintained and have exceeded their design life… The poor condition of the filter valves is adversely affecting the functioning of the filter treatment process.”

• Improper weighing scales for chlorine.

• “This public water system is not being operated by a person whose competency has been duly certified by the state health officer for the type of facility and the population it serves.”

• Respiratory protection equipment had not been provided in the event of a chlorine gas leak.

• No stand-by tanks provided for chlorine.

• No risk management program in place for using toxic or flammable substances at the plant, like chlorine.

• No chlorine leak repair kits visible, in the event of a chlorine leak emergency.

• Piping in the plant and the intake plumbing station are “generally in poor condition with respect to corrosion and paint.”

The report said, “Unit packages of PVC pipe, stored at the plant’s yard next to the above ground storage tank, are located directly on the ground surface in areas that are observed to be periodically flooded. Recommended actions to correct this violation include … when long-term storage with exposure to direct sunlight is unavoidable, PVC pipe should be covered with an opaque material while permitting adequate air circulation above and around the pipe as required to prevent excessive heat accumulation.”

The report also stated, “Water suppliers shall be responsible to insure the protection of the water supply system from potential contamination from certain of their customers through containment practices … as directed by the state Health Officer.”

Harris said to his knowledge, maybe one or two violations were corrected but, “frankly, that’s why we’re overhauling the entire plant, to correct these problems.”

Franklin water plant upgrading