Since 8:30 p.m. Monday evening, Atchafalaya Acres neighbors in Butte La Rose have been finding ways to deal without running water. This is due to temperatures dropping on Monday evening leaving many residents without any water.
Jerry Champagne said he was surprised by how early the water was shut off.
“We were preparing for the freeze and getting ready to take baths and all of a sudden water just stopped flowing,” Champagne said. “And it was 31 degrees outside, and we could not do anything about it.”
But this isn't the first-time residents of Butte La Rose have had their water turned off in cold weather. Champagne said last year during freezing temperatures they went three days with no water and wanted to prevent it this year.
“The same thing happened again,” Champagne said. “Several people in the neighborhood had called to make sure that this would not happen, but we were told that they insulated pipes and insulated pumps, and it would not happen.”
Champagne spoke to Henderson Nina Water System President Tuesday morning.
“He could not give us an answer,” Champagne said. “He said usually the pumps are not shut off but for some reason it did happen and he was going to be looking into it.”
Champagne, who’s lived in Butte La Rose since 2016, said he’s never been able to drink water from the tap, and has received letters from Louisiana Health Department stating arsenic levels are in the water.
“It’s so nasty,” Champagne said. “And very, very, very bad. It has caused very many problems with appliances washing machines, dishwashers, showers. Everything gets clogged up with mineral deposits or whatever’s coming out of these wells.”
A few miles away, the town of Henderson faced no water problems during the freezing temperatures. According to Mayor Sherbin Collette construction on a pipeline extension will soon begin. The project connecting Butte La Rose to Henderson’s water system has been in the works for four years.
“They’re getting ready to start on the third part,” Collette said. “Once they do that part of Butte La Rose will be connected to the water system. Then at the end of the line it’ll actually turn north go all the way to Interstate 10. And that’s a few miles. That’s gonna take time but it’s gonna be done.”
I reached out to Henderson Nina Water System who said they had insulated the well and shut water down after power was out. They said they are currently working to restore water.
