WELSH — Work is proceeding on a $995,000 project to replace the town’s single ground water storage tank with two new tanks to improve the town’s water supply.

“This is going to supply the town with enough water for future growth and if anything happens to one tank, we will have another tank as backup, so we will always have water,” Mayor Carolyn Louviere said. “Water, gas and electricity … all those things are such an important part of the town and the people. This will ensure we have water and won’t run out.”

Eighty percent of the project is being funded by a low-interest loan from the Department of Health and Hospitals with 20 percent of the project paid by a grant.

Contractor Trek Inc. of Bunkie began constructing the first tank in November. That tank is expected to be on-line within 30 days, according to Town Superintendent Wayne Hebert.

Work should begin on the second tank in early 2018, he said.

“We will have to drain the old tank and disassemble it, then erect a new tank in it’s place,” Hebert said.

The existing ground-level storage tank was constructed in 1991 and is not in good condition, Louviere said

Having two epoxy powder coated tanks instead of the outdated single-ground level storage tank will increase the town’s water storage capacity to 78 percent.

“Right now we have a total of one ground tank with 550,000 gallons of water,” he said. “Once the two tanks are erected and operational we will have 792,000 gallons with the elevated tank.”

The two tanks will for provide for continued normal operation while either of the tanks are down for periodic inspection or maintenance. The new tanks were sized to provide a total of two days’ work of storage in conjunction with the existing elevated water tank that will remain.

The town’s water system currently serves about 1,520 customers.