Plans are moving forward for a new $10 million water treatment facility that will serve the Lacassine area in rural Jeff Davis Parish.

Jeff Davis Water and Sewer Commission No. 1 President Greg Bordelon said the facility will increase capacity and improve water service for the rural area.

“Most of the people in Lacassine were already happy with the service, but we were having some issues with some of the businesses complaining they didn’t have enough water pressure,” he said.

Construction on the new facility is expected to begin within the next two years, he said.

Jeff Davis Parish Police Jury President Steve Eastman said the project is great news for the parish, particularly for the parish’s industrial development park and anticipated economic growth in the Lacassine area.

“The potential is there for new business development in the Lacassine area and with the potential for sewer in the industrial park area it can only enhance economic growth,” Eastman said, noting that the parish is in the very early stages of planning sewer for the area.

The water treatment facility will be located just south of the railroad tracks on La. 101 near where the new softball/baseball complex.

“We were going to do a water storage facility and a booster station project for Lacassine, but we’ve changed it to a full water plant which is the most economical thing for us,” Bordelon said. “All the models that the engineers came up with show that a full plant is what is needed, so that is what we are moving forward with.”

Plans for the project will include a water well, storage facility and changes in some pipelines to increase the water flow.

“We can produce about a million and a half gallons per day treated in Thornwell with two wells, so we are thinking it is going to produce around 750,000 gallons per day for Lacassine,” Bordelon said.

The district has received more than $1.2 million in federal funding for the project. An additional $750,000 will be awarded from the state’s capital outlay plan.

The Jeff Davis Parish Police Jury has also committed $1.4 million in American Rescue Plan funds as matching funds for the project.

The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury has also agreed to provide $300,000 and $100,000 from the Cameron Parish Police Jury to help fund improvements to a treatment facility in Thornwell.

Bordelon said the new system will help alleviate low water pressure and provide infrastructure for economic growth in the area.

“I think it will mean more economic growth, especially in the industrial area and give everybody a little bit more security for water if we have a major failure at the Thornwell area,” he said. “If we lost the water tower or something in Thornwell, nobody would have water. This gives us the ability to pump water if one of the two sites goes down.”

Bordelon said there are already some companies that are looking to move into the area, along with several new subdivisions and construction of a new athletic facility for Lacassine High School.

The system is currently about half capacity with just over 3,200 customers and can handle up to 6,000 customers, but needs some major improvements to increase its water supply to meet future demands, he said.

Residents and business owners have voiced concerns in the past about frequent water outages and low water pressure.

Many business owners said they have had to temporarily close their businesses at times because they did not have water to operate restrooms and sinks or provide drinking water for customers and employees.

The district serves everything in Jeff Davis Parish south of Interstate 10, except for Silverwood, including Lacassine, Thornwell and Roanoke. The area also includes Bell City and Hayes in rural Calcasieu Parish and parts of the Lowry area in Cameron Parish.