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EPA Issues Two Final Administrative Orders to Water Supply Systems in Northeast Louisiana

Release Date: 09/11/2007
Contact Information: Dave Bary or Tressa Tillman at 214-665-2200 or [email protected]

(Dallas, Texas - Sep. 11, 2007) In its continuing effort to ensure that the residents of northeast Louisiana have safe drinking water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it has issued two final administrative orders to owners and operators of public water supply systems for violations of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

The public water systems named in these orders are the McClendon Community Water Well, Inc., owned and operated by Jeffrey Pruett of West Monroe, Louisiana, and Mer Rouge Water System/Rankin Subdivision, owned and operated by the Village of Mer Rouge.

During August 2007, 15 public water systems in northeast Louisiana were named in administrative orders for violating the Safe Drinking Water Act.

“Public health cannot be jeopardized by public water systems that fail to provide clean and safe drinking water,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “When these systems experience problems, immediate actions will be taken to return them to compliance.”

In July 2007, staff from the EPA and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (LDHH) inspected 17 water systems in northeast Louisiana. They found numerous operations and maintenance violations requiring immediate compliance actions. These violations included improper storage of chlorine gas, insufficient chlorine residuals, improper disinfection and use of improper disinfectant, lack of a backup source of potable water, lack of a source of emergency electrical power, lack of sanitary easement around wellheads, and no site security, among others.

Based on these findings, the owners and operators of these public water supply systems have been ordered to immediately take action to bring the systems into compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.