There was a groundbreaking in the town of Melville Monday morning, and it marked the start of a major improvement for the St. Landry Parish municipality.
The project, a comprehensive overhaul of it's water system, is being funded by $4.39 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Program—including a $1,166,000 loan and $3,224,000 grant and an additional $2.8 million from the Louisiana Water Sector Program administered by the Office of Community Development-Local Government Assistance.
"This investment marks a turning point for a system that has struggled for decades and has routinely appeared on lists of Louisiana’s worst-performing water systems," a release states. "Melville’s 60-year-old water system, built on deteriorating galvanized pipes and dependent on a single, overworked well, has long failed to meet the needs of residents. The community has endured prolonged service outages, including weeks-long disruptions in recent years, and the system was in violation of federal health-based drinking water standards in 2024–2025. Chronic financial strain further limited the town’s ability to address urgent infrastructure needs."
The project will allow the town to replace nearly all aging water lines to address leaks, install modern radio-read water meters for the first time to prevent unauthorized usage and ensure accurate billing, properly abandon an un-used water well, rehabilitate its existing well, drill an additional water well, and renovate Town Hall for ADA compliance. Melville’s elevated tower on Vine Street will be fully recoated and rehabilitated, extending its service life and avoiding the cost of replacement.
“Our residents have lived with uncertainty for far too long. This investment represents a turning point for Melville, one that will finally give our community the reliable, safe drinking water it deserves,” said Mayor Caretta L. Robertson. “We are deeply grateful for the partnership of USDA Rural Development and the Louisiana Water Sector Program as we rebuild the foundation of our town’s future.”
