Abbeville set to utilize grant, federal funds to make sewer system upgrades

Among the projects, Abbeville will take on this year is an upgrade to its sewer system, a project that will help ease some issues on the west side of the Vermilion River.
The City Council made the step toward the start of the project during Tuesday’s meeting when it authorized the advertisement of bids.
“We’ve scheduled the first advertisements to start on Jan. 18,” Engineer Gene Sellers said during Tuesday’s meeting. “The bids are scheduled to be awarded on March 1.”
Sellers said that, due to the nature of the project, the window for bids would be open a little longer.
“It’s a long project, and it’s complicated,” Sellers said. “I wanted to give the contractors 45 days rather than 30.”
This project will be funded using $1 million from the ‘21 Louisiana Community Development Block Grant (LCDBG) program the state awarded to the city. Around $500,000 for the remainder of the project will come from federal funds the city received through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). In all, the city will receive $4.4 million in ARPA funds. Half of that has already been received, with the other half coming later this year.
“ARPA funds can be used for water and sewer projects,” Mayor Mark Piazza said.
Piazza explained that this particular project will help ease a lot of the sewer backup and sewer infiltration problems on the west side of the river.
“We are going to add a second sewer river crossing,” Piazza said. “That’s the primary objective. To do that, we have to run a force main from the Loraine Street lift station, to the other end of town, including adding a second river crossing. That will relieve a lot of the sewer backup and infiltration (groundwater that enters sewer pipes in various ways).
“This is going to make for a better, overall sewer system on the west side of the river.”
This project will also include smoke testing, which will occur later this year. In addition, the city will add a generator to the main lift station by the sewer plant.
“In in the event of a hurricane,” Piazza said, “we will still have sewer capacity.”
Sellers explained the project would also increase capacity by 30%.
“That will give you room to grow on (west) side,” Sellers said.
Councilwoman Roslyn White, who represents the west side of the river, said this is a welcomed project.
“On behalf of the residents on the west side of the city,” White said, “thank you for making this project happen.
“It’s needed.”