Submitted by the City of Broussard
BROUSSARD, LA (August 14, 2024) – The City of Broussard is pleased to announce plans to enhance and expand the city’s water supply system.
“We have developed a master plan to enhance our water production and storage capacity, to ensure that our city is prepared for future growth,” said Broussard Mayor Ray Bourque. “This plan includes a review of completed water system projects, as well as projects to begin now and continue over the next three to four years. The total investment is estimated at $10 million.”
The five-part water system master plan involves interconnectivity, system rehabilitation, water system modeling, increased storage, and increased capacity.
- Interconnectivity – Enhancing the ability to maintain consistent pressures and water quality during maintenance and/or construction operations. This allows the city to serve the residents
and businesses of Broussard with a consistent water supply without any unplanned interruptions. - System rehabilitation – Continued maintenance on the existing water system prevents weaknesses and preserves consistent pressure.
- Water system modeling – Monitoring aquifer composition assists in further understanding of groundwater capacities and qualities for current and future well projects. Studies of the existing water system identify low pressure areas and determine key areas for potential improvements.
- Increased storage – Increasing the storage capacity of the water system equates to maintained water pressures and ability to supply residents and businesses with water for extended periods of power outages, system failures, or system maintenance.
- Increased capacity – As Broussard grows and expands, improving water volume will help create a more self-sufficient city and less dependent on other water sources.
“Broussard has a solid relationship with Lafayette Consolidated Government which permits the city to purchase roughly 70% of our water from the Lafayette Utilities System. This partnership provides redundancy in our water system, benefiting both parties during times of stress, such as drought conditions or during large-scale fires.” said Bourque. “However, as Broussard continues to experience rapid growth, it is critical for the city to invest in our water infrastructure to create an independent water supply for our city.”
New projects in the plan include adding two additional water wells, expanding water storage capacity, rehabilitating our two water towers, and replacing aging water lines.
“Over the past five years, we have invested more than $4 million to expand and strengthen our current water system,” said Bourque.
Mayor Bourque recently completed the Water Management Course through the Louisiana Rural Water Association. A strong and efficient water system is a requirement for the Property Insurance Association of Louisiana (PIAL) Public Fire Protection Classification. Broussard’s fire rating is Class 2 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being poor and 1 being outstanding.
Funding for the water system master plan comes from the city, upon final approval from the Broussard City Council, and State Capital Outlay Grants.
