ASCENSION PARISH, La. (BRPROUD) — Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment signed the transfer of assets of the sewer treatment system on Thursday, April 18. This marks a step in fixing the sewer problem in Ascension Parish.

National Water Infrastructure (NWI) has bought the parish’s sewer system for $9.2 million, parish officials said in a news release. This deal solidifies a partnership that began in 2021 as a franchise agreement under a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA).

Ascension Parish officials approved the sale to NWI by a majority vote in April 2021. The Ascension Parish Council then sanctioned the sale in July of the same year.

The agreement starts the Ascension Parish Regionalization Project (APRP). The APRP aims to address challenges posed by the parish’s sewer infrastructure. This infrastructure consists of separate package treatment plants.

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Under the deal, NWI will build and run a new regional sewer treatment plant in the parish’s industrial area. The plant will combine over 75 collection systems and shut down 70 treatment plants. These plants are currently in the parish’s strained waterways.

Phase 1 will remove over 3.5 Million Gallons Per Day (MGD) of sewer discharge from ditches and waterways. This will improve the area’s water quality, officials said.

The APRP requires no investment by the parish. NWI will invest over $185 million to build, run and keep sewer infrastructure. It will pay the parish a $9.26 million purchase price, according to the release.

The project will help the environment and the community. The APRP will provide sewer capacity and benefit public schools, the news release said.

10 schools will get access to the system. Five will be tied in upon project completion. This will remove sewer treatment plants and discharges on school grounds.

APRP will save the parish over $4.1 million per year, officials said. Long-term projections say it will save $73.2 million over the next 30 years. This will happen without any tax increase.

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“NWI is proud to finalize this purchase and start delivering on our investment in building a modern consolidated sewer system for Ascension Parish, ultimately improving the local waterways and offering enhanced system operations for decades to come,” said CEO of National Water Infrastructure Tom Pertuit. “As a Bernhard Capital Partners portfolio company, we have assembled a world-class team to implement this project, and we are committed to excellent customer service and keeping the community apprised of our progress. This represents a solution to a longstanding problem and an investment in the long-term sustainability and growth of our community.”

“Ensuring clean water has been a top priority for this administration,” said Cointment. “Today’s milestone brings us closer to achieving cleaner waterways, healthier ditches, and improved canals. It underscores our longstanding commitment to this vital goal. This is a huge first step.”

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