ST. MARY PARISH — Residents of Franklin, are facing challenges due to a boil advisory issued on August 19. The advisory stems from a statement released by the Franklin water system on Tuesday, revealing that the city failed to properly monitor turbidity levels—key indicators of water clarity—affecting disinfection processes for two months.
Miguel Velez, the general manager of a local Sonic, expressed the toll this situation has taken on both his home and work life:
“We don’t even have enough business coming in to pay employees; that’s how bad it is.” He noted that the water quality issues have impacted his family directly, “The water comes out smelling like bleach and chemicals where I live, so it’s bad” Velez states.
In its recent statement, the Franklin water system explains that the monitoring of drinking water for turbidity was taking place every two hours, instead of every 15 minutes which the Louisiana Department of Health requires.
Franklin Mayor Eugene Foulcard acknowledged the oversight but assured residents that adjustments have been made. “We did that within a five-day notice that we had to have it corrected. The turbidity levels have been read every 15 minutes, and we’ve sent them well over a month of data” Mayor Foulcard says.
Despite the boil advisory, Mayor Foulcard confirmed that no bacteria has been found in the water supply during this period.
“Any bacteria was not found in the water supply for Franklin, but the turbidity levels were a bit high”.
For residents like Deniele Wiltz, a mother of a five-year-old, concerns about safety are top priority, “I have to use nursery rhyme water to give her a bath; that’s how bad it’s been,” she said.
Laquesha Grogan, an employee at a local Popeyes, echoed Wiltz's concerns.
“I have a four-year-old daughter, so I have to get cases of water and boil it, and that’s major money”Grogan states.
Mayor Foulcard says that efforts are ongoing to comply with the Surface Water Treatment Rule but until the Louisiana Department of Health is satisfied with Franklin’s turbidity levels, the boil advisory will remain in effect.
