SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - After the problems suffered by the city’s water system during the recent deep freeze, Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins said he is asking the city council for a meeting to discuss infrastructure improvements and will be doing a review to figure out what went wrong.
KTBS reported that Perkins told the station in a statement that he had asked the council for a meeting “in order to get a consensus on infrastructure improvements. And that will likely include a bond proposal.”
Last week temperatures plummeted across the region, causing problems for water infrastructure across much of the South. Equipment froze, water lines ruptured, and dripping faucets designed to keep pipes from bursting taxed systems. Residents in many areas, including Shreveport, went for days with little or no running water.
“We will also put together information gathered during this extreme winter weather event for an after action review to discuss what improvements are still needed for our aging infrastructure,” the mayor told the station.
City Councilmember Grayson Boucher said he thought the mayor’s approach was “reasonable” but also told the station that the city needs to make sure it has studied the problems thoroughly and has a good idea of exactly what’s needed before asking for money.
Another Councilmember, Jerry Bowman, said the crisis showed the city needed to do something about the pipes, and that he would support a new bond proposal.
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