In a unanimous decision, Madisonville council members voted to move forward with hiring Forte & Tablada, an engineering company, to begin the process of getting a new well.
“There is a $3 million commitment to doing the water well,” Mayor Jean Pelloat said Friday.
The vote took place at the April 8 council meeting, where the mayor revealed to the council that $3 million in utility surplus money was allocated in the proposed 2027 fiscal year budget. That budget is expected to be voted on in June.
“Once the council recognized what was in the proposed budget, they recognized they could do at least a phase of the project,” Mayor Pelloat said.
Councilman Louis Ogle, who spearheaded the charge to get the water system, tells me Friday, this move is a step in the right direction.
“People have been frustrated for the last several years with the water issues,” Ogle said. “Their concerns were downplayed initially.”
Ogle also told us that he, too, gets brown water at times, saying it’s something he wouldn’t want his grandchildren bathing in.
“I’ve shown you the pictures of the water; it gets pretty dark at times,” Ogle said.
The brown water is because of the manganese built up in the pipes. Town leaders say it happens in the North well, as opposed to the South well.
“When we have a change in the water pressure, it gets released all at once, and if you happen to be washing clothes or taking a bath at that time, you’re going to get hit by it,” Ogle said.
Now that the engineering company is hired, they will begin the design process. The town intends to place the south well, because reports show that it’s deteriorating faster than the North.
Ogle tells WDSU that replacing the South well will also give the town a better chance at getting clean water.
The replacement is expected to service the entire town, with the North well serving as a backup.
The town opted to approach the project in phases, and while the initial phase can begin, there are still three remaining phases, which will cost about $6 million.
“I am hoping we will hear something from the state about the capital outlay requests and the loan requests.” Mayor Pelloat said.
The town is hoping to get 49% of the loan they are requesting forgiven to help complete the project.
The remaining phases include “elevated tower, the line replacement, and it’s the meters themselves,” Mayor Pelloat said.
Ogle said the residents pushing for something to be done paid off.
“They’ve shown up, they’ve come to meetings, they’ve spoken out,” Ogle said. “They’ve called out WDSU. I think this is the third time WDSU has shown up, and I think that is important to the process.”
The 2027 fiscal budget is expected to be voted on in June because the town is seeking to get a loan to help with this project. Leaders say it will impact water rates, but right now it’s too early to tell by how much.
READ MORE:Madisonville moves forward with initial phase to resolve brown water issue
