KEY TAKEAWAYS: $2.89 million lift station upgrade completed in St. Tammany Parish Project will serve about 5,000 residents with improved efficiency Consolidates seven smaller wastewater treatment plants Funded in part by $20.2 million from the American Rescue Plan Act   Parish leaders i n St. Tammany Parish on April 23 marked the completion of a $2.89 million upgrade to the Faubourg Lift Station, a key wastewater infrastructure project designed to improve efficiency and environmental outcomes for thousands of residents. Parish President Mike Cooper joined council members for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the enhanced facility in the Covington-Madisonville area, highlighting the administration’s broader push to modernize utilities across the parish. The upgraded lift station serves as a regional sewer pump, collecting wastewater from neighborhoods along Brewster Road, Highway 21 and Highway 1077 and transporting it to the West St. Tammany Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. Officials said the improvements will support roughly 5,000 residents by consolidating multiple systems into a single, more efficient operation. Cooper said the project aligns with more than $100 million in planned infrastructure investments since he took office, aimed at strengthening utility systems and reducing environmental impact. A central component of the upgrade involves absorbing capacity from seven smaller wastewater treatment plants that have been decommissioned in surrounding subdivisions. By replacing those facilities with a centralized system, parish officials said they expect to streamline operations and eliminate localized discharge points, improving overall watershed quality. District 1 Councilman Rick Smith said the project will enhance reliability for households in the area, while District 4 Councilwoman Kathy Seiden emphasized its role in improving water quality in nearby rivers and bayous. The lift station upgrade is part of the larger West St. Tammany Wastewater Consolidation project, which is supported by $20.2 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. The broader initiative includes plans for seven new lift stations and five miles of sewer force main, with a projected impact on about 6,400 residents. Contractor Subterranean Construction LLC and engineering consultant Forte Tablada led the Faubourg Lift Station improvements, according to parish officials. ...read more read less