DONALDSONVILLE, La. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Ascension Parish held a Groundbreaking Ceremony to celebrate the start of the Ascension Parish Water Meter Replacement Project. The project will replace over two thousand water meters across the city of Donaldsonville, Louisiana. A $4.5 million construction contract was awarded to remove and replace existing manually read water meters with remotely read water meters.
This project was authorized through Section 219 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 which provides Federal assistance to State and local governments in carrying out water-related infrastructure projects.
“The Ascension Parish Water Meter Replacement Project is a vital step to enhance water infrastructure for residents and businesses. This initiative will streamline meter reading processes by replacing over two thousand manually read water meters with state-of-the-art remotely read meters, ensuring greater accuracy and efficiency. I was proud to secure this $4.5 million federal investment and will continue to fight for infrastructure advancements and environmental justice for communities like Donaldsonville. Today's event reflects our collective effort to serve the needs of residents and businesses while embracing innovation and best practices,” said Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02).
Colonel Cullen A. Jones, U.S. Army Corps, New Orleans District Commander said “The Corps is excited to partner with Ascension Parish to bring water security to the residents and businesses of Donaldsonville. Ascension Parish is experiencing rapid population growth and it is essential to improve the existing infrastructure here. This $4.5 million investment is just the beginning of our partnership with the Parish as we have secured funding to design the first phase of replacing water lines throughout Donaldsonville as the next step.”
“This project is an investment in the future of Donaldsonville and underscores our commitment to modernizing infrastructure and ensuring reliable services to our residents” said Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment.
Mayor Leroy Sullivan stated “This is a momentous day for the city of Donaldsonville and every time something happens here to move the city forward, I am very excited. Donaldsonville is the third oldest city in the state of Louisiana. That means there is a lot of history here and there’s a lot of old things here. This project will modernize our historic city while preserving its heritage.”
“This is a great day for the West Bank of Ascension Parish and the city of Donaldsonville. Today, water is one of the most valuable assets in America. This project is moving us into the 21st Century” said Ascension Parish Councilman Oliver Joseph.
The new drive-by, remotely read water meters (and related equipment) with data collector units will decrease manpower necessary for meter reading and allow meter reading to be done in a shorter timeframe and will provide more accurate water meter usage for customers using the water system. Research conducted by Ascension Parish demonstrated that the older meters are underreporting water consumption/usage by nearly 30% resulting in the Parish losing significant monthly revenue. Installation of the new meters is expected to increase the NFS’s annual revenue by nearly $300,000 when considering existing average monthly residential consumption data. The project is expected to be complete in the Spring of 2025.
Release no. 24-021