TANGIPAHOA PARISH, La. — Parts of Tangipahoa Parish are dealing with the aftermath of the bitter temperatures that swept the area earlier this week. Following Monday’s freeze, one homeowner in Loranger says she hasn’t had water since Monday.
“No one should be without water,” Rae Venable, a homeowner in Loranger said.
Venable says her neighborhood doesn’t have strong water pressure on a good day. But now, all they have is a trickle.
She and her family are new to Wolf Lake Subdivision, but last week, a neighbor told her to fill up her bathtub, warning her that the water goes out almost every time temperatures drop below freezing.
“It is frustrating to be a new home owner, only to have problems like this arise,” Venable said.
After days without shower, washing laundry, and flushing their toilets with bath water, they’re ready for local government to step in.
“They need to put their foot to the petal and try to get something done, and get this taken care of as soon as possible,” Venable said.
Unlike other parts of the area, Amite, Indpendence, and Loranger get their water from Eastern Heights Water Works, not Tangipahoa Water District. Because the company is privately owned, he says there’s only so much the parish can do.
“Neither of those answer to us directly,” Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller said. “We’re pushing on them to take care of our citizens, because we know it’s a critical situation for us.”
Miller said when residents turned on their faucets to avoid frozen pipes, it overloaded Eastern Heights’ system.
“We understand the frustration, there’s no doubt about it,” Miller said.
Miller said Tangipahoa Water District is working side by side with Eastern Heights’ Water Works to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
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