Shreveport’s Failing Water System Grade Contrasts Bossier City’s Perfect Score, According to Louisiana Health Department

Shreveport Water System Records a Drop while Bossier City Maintains Standard

In a recent report from the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), it was recorded that the city of Shreveport’s water system took a notable dip in the grades, scoring a disheartening F. However, not all was gloom in Northwest Louisiana as Bossier City continued to excel in maintaining its water system, bagging a perfect score of 100. The findings showed the overall health of the various community water systems across the region.

Grading System not Based on Actual Water Quality

The LDH’s grading system for the water systems does not actually take into account the water’s quality. Instead, it relies heavily on seven distinct standards. These benchmarks are federal and state water quality violations, financial sustainability of the water systems, their operation and maintenance state, the infrastructure, level of customer satisfaction, and the presence of secondary contaminants like iron and manganese.

Performance of Other Water Systems

Several other cities had mixed scores in the report. Mansfield’s water system scored an F for 2023, dropping from the previous year’s D. On the brighter side, Minden maintained a stable performance with an A grade, securing an identical score to the previous year. Natchitoches, however, saw a decrease in grade, moving from a B in 2022 to a D in 2023.

The Impact of 2023 Scores on Residents

Many city officials are already engaged in discussions about what these 2023 scores could mean for their residents. The Mayor of Mansfield, Thomas Jones, reassured his citizens that their water was still safe to drink, emphasizing that the grading does not reflect the actual quality of the drinking water. However, efforts to address operational and equipment deficiencies leading to missed points in the rating system are underway.