The final piece of the puzzle is in motion regarding upgrades to Mamou’s water system. The news came during a special council meeting held Thursday, November 19, when the council accepted a low bid on installation of water meters.
The low bid came in from Baton Rouge based NCMC LLC at $1,173,000.00. The only other bid came from Anacoco’s Williams Equipment Services LLC at a cost of $1,192,144.05. The price quoted by NCMC LLC includes the replacing of all the town’s steel pipes.
“We did our homework on these meters,” Mayor Ricky Fontenot said. “This is going to be the first time the town has meters, so we have to do this right. This is why it took us so much time. We had to do a lot of questioning and calling other towns that had these types of meters.”
The mayor explained town workers will still have to go out to the rural areas to read water meters that are not picked up by an antenna to be installed on top of a water tower. The antenna, however, will pick up water meters within the town in order for town employees to read the meters from town hall.
Mayor Fontenot added the town has previously purchased property for the construction of a water treatment plant on the empty lot behind the girls’ softball field and received bids for the project. Two new wells will also be constructed.
As a result of the project, the town will be in the Chicot aquifer instead of the Evangeline aquifer. Councilman Robin Young said, “The well by the old feed store is in the Chicot aquifer, and we run it as an emergency well. The water is clear as can be. It doesn’t have the smell or the odor or the color. It doesn’t have the fluoride.”
Mayor Fontenot further said the new water treatment plant will be similar to that of the Bayou Des Cannes Water System in the Duralde area.
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Tony Marks
Editor