Case Study 1: NE Louisiana Town of 4,000
On March 5, 2013, the mayor of a northeast Louisiana town of approximately 4,000 people received a Notice of Violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health (LDHH, OPH). The mayor requested Cenla Environmental Science’s assistance.
The violation for failing to monitor for disinfection by-products requires that the town publicly notify “all customers on the system”, a costly process requiring notification of the violation “by both”:
1. Notice published in a general circulation newspaper as soon as possible and no later than 45 days
2. Direct mail or hand delivery to each customer as soon as possible but no later than 90 days
Cenla Environmental Science (CES) reviewed the town’s water system. Working with the town and LDHH OPH, CES verified the proper sampling locations and the prescribed dates/time periods the monitoring should have occurred. A CES accountant then performed a forensic audit of the town’s invoices and payments to vendors. The audit revealed the town had, in fact, paid a vendor to provide the required testing.
Cenla Environmental Science worked with the town to acquire copies of the required analysis results. CES then forwarded copies to LDHH OPH and requested that the notice of violation be rescinded. On April 15, 2013, LDHH OPH notified CES that the monitoring violation would be rescinded. This saved the town a material sum of money and provided confidence to the town’s water customers.
