At the urging of State Senator Thompson (D-Delhi), the legislature passed, and the governor signed, Senate Bill 170.
Senate Bill 170 creates the Rural Water Infrastructure Committee within the office of the governor to provide advice and guidance to the governor on all matters relative to rural water systems in Louisiana. The 17-member committee will further the efforts of a comprehensive rural water infrastructure plan to address deteriorating public water supply systems and protect the interests, health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Louisiana.
“I have worked on solutions for rural water systems for my entire career-over 45 years,” said Senator Thompson. “It is a complicated issue which has progressively gotten worse as our systems age. It’s time we bring solutions to the table for the health and welfare of the citizens of Louisiana.”
Roughly half of Louisiana’s water systems are over 50 years old. An aging infrastructure leads to a potential need for repairs and replacements. Without adequate funding, the water systems in rural communities are struggling to meet today’s demands.
Senator Thompson said, “In recent years, you have seen the headlines surrounding the town of St. Joseph in my district. We brought together assistance from federal, state and local partners and now we have safe, clean drinking water. What we discovered through that year long process was that there are similar deficiencies statewide and there was no one entity you could go to for the answers. I believe Senate Bill 170 changes that.”
