By MOLLY DRYMAN

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE — The St. John Parish Council will determine, on Tuesday, whether or not construction will start on the Reserve Oxidation Pond for a short term solution to the sewer problems in St. John Parish.

This is the beginning of the resolution to the continuous sewer problems facing St. John Parish. At first, a new sewer plant was to be constructed, but construction would take too long and a location could not be agreed on between the council and the public. A plant will still be constructed as a long-term solution.

The authorization is needed at the council meeting on Tuesday, in order to add a line item in the Utility Budget in the amount of $20,000 for the permitting process for the pond. This will be used as a place to rid waste, in order to alleviate the capacity problem.

Council Chairman Joel McTopy said he has received positive feedback from this, because people have had sewage coming into their homes and through the manholes in the street, so something needs to be done now.

“The construction will take a year to a year-and-a-half,” said McTopy. “The cost could be from $150,000 to $300,000.”

McTopy said, people are concerned about discharge getting into the lake (Pontchartrain), but everything would be monitored and filtered, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

The most important fact is, “no residents or very few residents live in this area,” said McTopy.

This is the short term solution to the problem and a sewer plant will be built as quickly as possible, according to McTopy.

Other issues being discussed at the council meeting are for a new animal shelter to be constructed in front of the existing one on River Road, authorization to advertise for bids for construction of a new fire station in Garyville and approval of the St. John Military Park Committee to get started on the construction of the park in front of the airport in Reserve.