GONZALES- The sole bidder to provide regional sewer service to East Ascension Parish says it can deliver service after the parish government was unable to create a system on its own.
    
Ascension Environmental LLC says having the customers is critical to financing the $300 million plan to bring public sewage treatment to the parish's east bank.
    
Parish officials have been unsuccessful over the past eight years to finance a regional system without new taxes or large user fees.
    
Ascension Environmental proposes that most of the initial customer base will be created by buying out two private sewer providers. If the transaction goes through, their customers, on average, will see a significant rate increase.
    
Residential customers would pay an average of $67 per month, nearly double what some pay now.