Maurice officials to evaluate sewer, water systems

MAURICE — Growth is really only as good as an area’s capability to properly handle it.
As expansion continues inside the Village of Maurice, Mayor Wayne Theriot wants to make sure that all systems are a go for the future.
At the Jan. 28 Maurice Board of Aldermen meeting, Theriot requested Sellers and Associates, the village’s engineering group, to conduct formal surveys of the sewer and water systems.
“We want to see what we can handle,” Theriot said. “The systems are designed for 2,000 customers.”
Maurice has a current population of more than 1,400. The village also has several businesses, with others expected to open this year. Multiple new neighborhoods are also planned, including a 53-home subdivision.
“I want to see where we are going to stand and where we can go,” Theriot said. “I want to get recommendations and directions on how to go about it.”
The evaluation is expected to be presented during a board of aldermen meeting this spring.
Todd Vincent of Sellers and Associates said during the meeting he agrees with the move.
“I think that it is a prudent move with the interest you have seen in the village,” Vincent said. “With these new neighborhoods, it shows that you are getting closer to you capacity.”
The board of aldermen recently approved two new subdivisions. One is a second phase of Rue des Cannes, with the other being constructed near Vincent Road.
“You are looking at about 105 new homes,” Theriot said of the two new areas. “If you consider a minimum of two people (per home), that’s 210 more people.
“With all of the other growth opportunities, we are going to be pushing the limit before too long.”
The village’s sewer system received an upgrade in 2011. The water system saw similar improvements two years prior.
“Those were approved under (former mayor) Bob Ferguson’s administration,” Theriot said. “That brought us from 1,000 to 2,000 customer capacity.
“Those improvements were done with growth in mind.”
Maurice has grown quickly since the upgrades. The village’s population for the ‘10 Census was 964. The addition of an apartment complex, nursing home facility, annexation of new areas and the building of new neighborhoods, among other issues, has pushed the number to more than 1,400.
“We estimate that within two years we will at least approach the capacity if not exceed it,” Theriot said. “That is at the rate we are going.”
The time line for improvements to the water and sewer systems is not short, which is why the subject is being discussed now.
“Any expansion to that infrastructure is a long-term project,” Theriot said. “You have to look at issues, including where you are going to expand. Ideally it would be near the current systems, but that would have us purchasing enough property to build. Once you get that, you have to go through designs and the construction part.
“You are looking at two-year projects, so it’s best to be prepared and have some type of plan in place.”
Theriot said the evaluation the village will receive from Sellers in April or May will be a basic starting point and that it could be a year before any official decisions are made.
“You don’t want to sit back and watch,” Theriot said, “Then all of a sudden you are at capacity and you don’t have any plans for how you are going to handle anything after that.”