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