Berwick officials pose next to a new sewer station on Old Spanish Trail that is part of a $1.7 million sewer expansion project, which is nearly finished. From left are Councilwoman Jacki Ackel, Chief Administrative Officer Newell “Bubba” Slaughter, Planning and Zoning Director Gary Beadle, Reid Miller, president of Miller Engineers & Associates, Laura Meadows, legislative assistant for state Sen. Bret Allain, state Rep. Sam Jones, Mayor Louis Ratcliff, Councilman Duval Arthur, and Police Chief James Richard. (The Daily Review/Zachary Fitzgerald)
Berwick sewer expansion almost done
Work is nearing the finish on a project to expand Berwick’s sewer system by several miles to allow for commercial and residential growth.
Area officials held a photo opportunity Thursday to mark near completion of the town’s sewer expansion project along Old Spanish Trail and La. 182. The purpose of the project was to provide for the needs of nearby oil and gas industry business, Cameron, and for future commercial and residential development in the area.
State Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin, and Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, helped get $1.275 million in state capital outlay funds. The town of Berwick contributed $425,000 toward the project.
Miller Engineers & Associates of Franklin designed the project, and Bihm Construction of Opelousas did construction. Officials expect to finish the project by Sept. 15. The expansion added about three to four miles to the sewer system, said Reid Miller, president of Miller Engineers & Associates.
Plans to expand Berwick’s sewer system began in 2012. Those plans were largely a response to accommodate the needs of Cameron, Jones said. But town officials also decided to expand the sewer system beyond Cameron’s needs to allow for other commercial and residential growth in Berwick, he said.
State funds for planning and engineering of the project were secured in 2012, and the rest of the project was funded in increments as needed, Jones said.
In early 2018, officials broke ground on construction of the project, which includes three new sewer stations, two on Old Spanish Trail and one on La. 182. The stations are connected to the regional sewer station for Wards 5 and 8 on U.S. 90 in Berwick, Mayor Louis Ratcliff said.
Fencing around three new stations and some finishing touches are the only things left to complete on the project, Miller said.
Workers added gravity drainage in residential areas on Old Spanish Trail and La. 182. The project also helped decrease the load on the system coming from Country Club Estates and Berwick Civic Complex to create a quicker flow to the main station on U.S. 90, Ratcliff said.
The expansion will also serve the industrial area along La. 182, Miller said.