By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — St. John the Baptist Parish officials announced Thursday afternoon misleading information and requests for water samples are being circulated by a third-party, private business through flyers on residents’ doors.

“Please use caution when providing personal contact information to any business or organization making such requests,” a release from the parish states. “St. John the Baptist Parish is not requesting residents to fill small bottles with water for testing and will not be sending workers into your home to take water samples. Please be aware that there may be personal safety risks involved when allowing individuals into your home to perform water testing.”

The St. John Parish Utilities Department is sampling 70 sites throughout the parish; however, no requests will be made for residents to provide a water sample from their home and leave a sample of water for pick-up.

Belle Terre Civic Association President Rajender Pannu emailed fellow residents Thursday morning, saying someone has placed a bag with a small plastic bottle with a form to be completed and water collected in the bottle to check if the Naegleria fowleri ameba is in their water system.

“No one knows anything about the company ‘Environmental Services,’ as there is no contact information,” Pannu said.

“These bags have been tagged to door knobs on Augusta Drive, Marion Drive and Doral Boulevard. If anyone else has received the same, please let us know immediately.”

She requested the St. John Sheriff’s Office look into the concerns.

Sheriff Mike Tregre said as of Friday morning his office had received no formal complaints about the water sample requests.

“This is not a criminal matter,” Tregre said.