ST. MARTIN PARISH — In Saint Martinville, the recent boil water advisory has raised concerns for some local businesses; Jaylen James, assistant manager at The Studio Coffee Bar, emphasized the importance of a steady water flow for coffee production.
"Our entire machine back here requires constant water flowing through it; whenever we don’t have that, we can’t really make coffee the way we’re supposed to" James explains.
To deal with the advisory, James and his team have implemented measures by keeping bottled water on hand. "We've started keeping just bottles of water in the back; just in case something does happen, we can keep business going," he explained.
The advisory has been attributed to aging infrastructure, as outlined by Mayor Jason Wills.
Mayor Wills says, "the infrastructure of the ground cracking and the pipes shifting" has contributed to the problem, highlighting the issue of holes in the water pipes that caused temporary shutdowns for repairs.
Mayor Willis also pointed to the recent drought as a contributing factor, stating, "Whenever there's a drought, the ground cracks and breaks, causing the pipes to shift."
While repairs were completed and water service was restored on Friday morning, the boil water advisory remained in effect as of Friday afternoon.
Audrey M. Allen, owner of Clambeaugh's restaurant, voiced her concerns about the lack of communication from city officials regarding water issues.
Allen wants increased transparency, stating, "I would like the city to give me more notifications, something like the Amber Alert. This is a community establishment I have here, so as long as the community is being served in a way where we can trust our officials, we can grow our community."
As the city navigates these challenges, local businesses continue to adapt in order to serve their customers effectively.
Mayor Willis says he hopes to have the boil advisory lifted no later than Monday.
