New Rules For Water Systems In Louisiana

The Louisiana Department of Health has issued an emergency rule that requires all water systems in the state to start maintaining a higher level of disinfectant in their systems.

The new rules also require systems in the state of Louisiana to increase the amount of water sampling, or testing that they do by 25 percent.

The health department says most systems in the state of Louisiana will be required to have these new standards set in place by February of 2014.

These changes are coming after the discovery of deadly amoeba in two water systems in our state.

A boy became infected with an amoeba in St. Bernard Parish back in August, while a DeSoto Parish woman died in 2011 from the same type of infection.

The amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, is the reason for the concern.  The state will also put together a group of experts to discuss the amoeba.