City of Tallulah rescinds boil water advisory

The City of Tallulah is rescinding the boil water advisory issued on April 29, Mayor Charles Finlayson said Friday morning.

“The State has cleared the samples that we sent and we can safely rescind the boil advisory and go back to regular usage and consumption of water,” Finlayson said. “I want to thank everyone for their patience during this latest water crisis.”

Finlayson’s use of the word “latest” comes after a series of mechanical issues caused citywide water outages in recent months, all while the city attempts to overcome its latest obstacle in its years-long battle to rehabilitate its aging water plant.

Since December, the City of Tallulah has held two rounds of bidding for work planned for the plant, only to see estimates come in millions of dollars over budget.

The most recent bids left the city approximately $7 million short of needed funding. A recent meeting between city officials and Gov. Jeff Landry raised possible alternative solutions, such as entering into a receivership or a partnership with a nearby water company.

The City of Tallulah held a public meeting Wednesday to discuss the next steps and possible solutions with residents.