Knowing there is a problem and providing temporary mitigation to limit mosquito populations does not address the root cause of the sewage-associated mosquito production. In 2015, STPMAD joined an informal Water Quality Taskforce consisting of St. Tammany Parish Departments of Planning and Environmental Services, LA Department of Environmental Quality, LA Department of Health, LA Sea Grant, and Pontchartrain Conservancy personnel. This group sought solutions and collaborated on projects to focal water quality issues in the parish including OWTS. This task force dissolved in early 2020 when grant funding ran out for support of the group.
Meanwhile, external advocacy at STPMAD regarding the mosquito threat of OWTS began in earnest in 2017 with a presentation to the Parish Council and letters to former Parish President Patricia Brister and Council leaders. To encourage progress by community leaders, STPMAD has continued to promote messaging to inform the public about the need to maintain OWTS for WNV prevention in traditional media outlets and via social media.
The change of administration at Parish Government brought a different perspective on the issue. Parish President Michael Cooper has demonstrated his concern over sewage pollution caused by OWTS. Earlier this year, President Cooper ordered a new task force to review the problem and to present potential solutions and a plan for improving water quality. We are grateful for his leadership and support in addressing this community problem. Stay tuned for future developments resulting from this new group led by the LA Sea Grant program.