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In the picture from left to right: Back Row: Donald Chauvin (Carencro City Manager), Luke Hebert,P.E, (Fenstermaker Engineering), Jerry Osborne (City’s bond attorney), BusterBroussard (Carencro Water System Superintendent), Mayor Glenn Brasseaux (Cityof Carencro): Front Row: Jennifer Wilson (DWRLF Program Manager), Chase Berard,P.E. (Fenstermaker Engineering), Julie A Comeaux (DWRLF Project Engineer),Amanda Laughlin (OPH Chief Engineer). | |
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The Louisiana Department of Health’s Office of Public Health has awarded a $5.5 million loan to the City of Carencro through the State’s Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund. The low-interest loan will help improve Carencro’s water system.
In addition to the loan, the city also received a subsidy from the Drinking Water Capitalization Grant that pays up to $500,000 of the loan (known as principal forgiveness).
The loan will fund a project that includes the design and construction of two new water wells and a new water treatment plant that will have the ability to treat all of the water needed to meet the demands of the current population of the City with additional reserve capacity for future growth.
LDH and City of Carencro officials closed the loan on January 23, 2018.
“The City of Carencro has experienced a tremendous amount of growth, both residential and commercial over the last five years. To keep up with the demand on water, this loan will allow us to make improvements that will increase our volume and quality of water,” said Carencro Mayor Glenn Brasseaux.
“Once these improvements are completed, the facility will handle the water demands for Carencro well into the future,” added Brasseaux.
Dr. Parham Jaberi, assistant secretary for the Office of Public Health said it is imperative that all Louisiana residents have access to safe drinking water.
“This drinking water loan program gives local communities a source of dependable and affordable financing to bring their water treatment facilities up to the latest and most modern technology that keeps their residents safe and healthy,” said Jaberi.“I was impressed at how well the approval process went and want to commend and thank the Louisiana Department of Health Revolving Loan Fund staff especially Jennifer Wilson and project engineer Julie Comeaux for guiding through the process from start to finish,” Brasseaux said.
Congress established State Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund Programs in 1996 as part of the amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act. The program is jointly funded by an annual grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (80 percent) and the individual participating states (20 percent). In Louisiana, it is administered by LDH's Office of Public Health. Loans made through this program are low interest and have a maximum 20-year repayment period. Both public and privately-owned community and nonprofit, non-community water systems are eligible to apply for loans.
Once a loan is approved, water systems can use the funds to make their improvements. As the systems pay back the loans, the principal and interest are used to make more money available for other communities that have drinking water needs. All loan projects are approved based upon a priority ranking system. Among other factors, projects that address the most serious risks to human health and those that ensure compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act are given the highest priority.
For more information about the program, contact Jennifer Wilson at LDH's Office of Public Health, 225-342-7499.
About the Louisiana Department of Health
The Louisiana Department of Health strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state residents. The Louisiana Department of Health includes the Office of Public Health, Office of Aging & Adult Services, Office of Behavioral Health, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, and Healthy Louisiana (Medicaid). To learn visit www.ldh.la.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or our blog.