"Quarantine? "
Rural Water Come Quick!

By Kris R. Cash, APR
National Rural Water Association

Two thousand head of cattle and tainted water everywhere, the perfect mix for a massive animal kill and unprecedented quarantine. 

That is what Jackie LaBauve, Superintendent and Gary Badon, Operator for Cameron Parish Water Works at Hackberry faced in the moments following Hurricane Rita’s ferocious storm surge.

Thank goodness Badon was fast thinking.  After riding out the storm, Badon jumped in his truck and drove through flooded roads and huge potholes to get to the water plant.

After a quick assessment, he realized he had lost his control panels and motors to high water.  Yet, he was able to use a gas motor to pump enough water down the line to water the cows and avoid a monstrous disaster.

Just three days after the storm, Louisiana Rural Water Association’s Training Specialist.  Tommy Taylor was the first to arrive and started working with Badon and LaBauve.

They began evaluating resources at the well site to get temporary water to the transmission lines.  Top priority was electrical motors and ensuring fuel for the backup power supply.

“Rural Water was a tremendous help.  It was not only physical help it was knowledgeable help.  That is what we needed,.” LaBauve said.

“I had all kinds of local volunteers.  But I had to go with them or send one of my people with them.  It was very hands on and I had to show them where this was or where that was. With Rural Water, these people would jump in the hole with you.  We had to get systems back on with out damaging them.  We had Rural Water people from Louisiana and Arkansas who knew how to clean this system and get potable water.  LaBauve exclaimed.

Hardest hit in LaBauve’s area was Holly Beach.  Once a place of 400 beach camps nothing remains except a few pilings and battered trees.  The water plant is completely gone and it will be a long time until the area comes back.  Badon lost his home in Johnson Bayou and LaBauve’s house sustained major damage and is now inundated with black mold.  Yet, immediately after the storm these two men were back at work restoring water and Louisiana Rural Water was right along side helping them with materials, labor and lots of encouragement.

LaBauve said it best when he stated, “Rural Water, they are a tremendous help!”

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