City to update water meters; Zika virus risks explained

New water meters approved by the Franklin City Council Tuesday will bring modern technology to the city’s water distribution center.
Director of Finance Ed Hay said Mueller Systems of Cleveland, North Carolina, was the low bidder of two submitted at $1.2 million.
The meters, Hay said, are “intelligent” and can report usage, monitor usage and indicate leaks, as well as turn on and off remotely.
The council authorized the mayor to install the meters and negotiate the contract.
Old meters will be replaced with the new equipment and are linked to a broadband Wi-Fi system. Homeowners can be notified if a leak is indicated by the monitoring among other services.
“It’s a better operation all the way around for our metering,” Hay said. “We have their pricing, but we think there are some things we can negotiate to adjust it a further down than what we’re looking at.”
The system will be overseen by a connection terminal in City Hall, Hay said.
It may also indicate leaks in the city’s distribution lines.
Cost benefits include using less chemicals as leaks are identified and repaired, Hay said.
In other business Tuesday, Jessie Boudreaux, Cajun Mosquito Control LLC, updated the mayor and council on the Zika virus that has received national attention in the media.
Boudreaux said the South American epidemic is carried by a species of mosquito not found in St. Mary Parish. In fact, it has only been identified in the parishes of Orleans, St. Tammany and Jefferson. There have been no confirmed cases of Zika in the United States, except those that were contracted abroad.
The biggest threat in this area remains West Nile virus, Boudreaux said. It’s carried by native mosquitoes, but the female carrier does not fly far and reproduces in water. He warned against standing water, especially underneath raised homes, urging residents to keep such areas from collecting standing, stagnant water. Pet water bowls are also prime areas for breeding.
Prevention is best achieved by DEET-based repellents, Boudreaux said, along with clothing that covers the skin.
He said the entire city is being sprayed once a week, but surveillance mosquito counts lead to additional spraying in specific areas when numbers increase to a certain threshold.
Residents along the bayou do not necessarily have more mosquitoes; Boudreaux said predators in the bayou feed on the larvae and reduce their population.
Also Tuesday:
—The mayor and council heard from Larry Guilbeau that the Triumph Baptist Church Parade has been cancelled.
—Public Works Director Jeremy Smith said trash pickup such as yard debris and white goods—must be arranged with Pelican, the city’s waste handler. The city no longer collects trash curbside. He also said the city will enforce overgrown property grass and other vegetation through its legal procedure
—Ordinances were introduced to add urination and/or defecation in public, and to lease property at 810 Tenth St.
—A resolution was approved to request the Louisiana Fire Marshal’s Office to certify the city Fire Prevention Bureau.