DONALDSONVILLE - The Ascension Parish Council approved a near $6 million plan to buy a private water service for parts of the west bank of the parish Thursday.

Water currently is purchased from Assumption Parish and piped into the Donaldsonville area. The lines are part of the Peoples Water Service Company.

The purchase would include the water line where a brain-eating amoeba was found earlier this summer.

Parish officials said buying the water system allows them to become self-reliant and better handle responsibilities such as testing for parasites or managing chlorine levels.

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