WEST MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - Turning waste water into drinking water may not sound appetizing, but it's what the City of West Monroe is doing with the help of Graphic Packaging, a local industrial plant.
State and local leaders spent the day touring the Sparta Re-Use Facility and even tested the water for themselves.
West Monroe Mayor, Dave Norris says, "it takes effluent from a waste water treatment plant which is upgraded from waste water, in general and raises it's level to the level that meet EPA drinking quality, or drinking water quality standards, and does it very efficiently."
The Sparta Re-Use Facility also helps the Sparta Aquifer from being over used.
State Senator, Mike Walsworth says, "graphics was using water from the aquifer, we're relieving that water from the aquifer and using the waste water so it's a win win on both sides, now the City of West Monroe waste water is not going into the river, its going into graphics and it upgrades that water so that graphics could use it."
Senator Walsworth says the project will save money because less water in the Sparta Aquifer, leads to less business development in the area.
Walsworth says, "those kind of things the cost in the future would be astronomically, and would probably cost us jobs, and would probably diminish the population because we're not gonna have water source for that."
Mayor Norris says this is the only facility like this is the US.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 2:01 PM EDT2013-06-18 18:01:27 GMT
MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - Monroe Police and Ouachita Parish Deputies continue to investigate multiple shootings, a murder and a weekend stabbing in the parish.
MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - Monroe Police and Ouachita Parish Deputies continue to investigate multiple shootings, a murder and a weekend stabbing in the parish.
Monday, June 17 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-06-17 23:20:46 GMT
DELHI, La. (KNOE 8 News) - Many expectant mothers make detailed plans of where and how they want to give birth, but sometimes even the most strategic planning, doesn't go as expected.
DELHI, La. (KNOE 8 News) - Many expectant mothers make detailed plans of where and how they want to give birth, but sometimes even the most strategic planning, doesn't go as expected.
Monday, June 17 2013 8:51 AM EDT2013-06-17 12:51:48 GMT
CARENCRO, La. (KNOE 8 News/AP) - Lafayette Parish sheriff's deputies are investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy found in his grandparents' swimming pool.
CARENCRO, La. (KNOE 8 News/AP) - Lafayette Parish sheriff's deputies are investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy found in his grandparents' swimming pool.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 1:23 PM EDT2013-06-18 17:23:16 GMT
MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - The Monroe City School System spends nearly two times what the closest comparable school district does on central office expenses.
MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - The Monroe City School System spends nearly two times what the closest comparable school district does on central office expenses.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 9:17 AM EDT2013-06-18 13:17:15 GMT
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says all facilities at DeGray Lake and at Lake Greeson in southwest Arkansas have been reopened.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says all facilities at DeGray Lake and at Lake Greeson in southwest Arkansas have been reopened.
