ASCENSION - One of the four open houses took place and where the parish presented their plans to change the sewer system to residents. 

For Ascension, their system has cost a pretty penny, over the past ten years they've spent more than 42 million dollars on the sewer system, and now they're trying to lower that. 

“Ascension parish government is selling our utility system for sewer and we'll transfer the 2,000 customers that we have got overtime, said Parish President Clint Cointment. 

They want to sell it to National Water Industries for more than 9 million dollars, which plan to build a large-scale sewer plant that could handle all of the customers on the East bank of Ascension parish. It would move that sewage out of the scenic bayous and rivers.  

“We have over a 150 package treatment plants across this parish and we are going to consolidate them into one huge treatment plant, at the Mississippi River that discharges to the Mississippi River,” said Tom Pertuit. CEO, National Water Infrastructure. 

A plan NIV says will remove 3 million gallons of sewer waste per day from waterways... also saving the city millions of dollars.  

“An initial 9.6 mil for the purchase price, it frees up about 13 million in wastewater fund and 3 million annually,” said Cointment. 

An amount that'll total in 95 million dollars over 20 years, but the question many residents have is where will that extra money go.  

“Transportation, drainage and recreation,” said Cointment. 

None of that will go into play until the resolution is approved by voters. 

The next open house will take place on March 22nd at Prairieville Middle and the vote will take place on April 24th.