BLANCHARD, La. — Improvements are on the way for Blanchard's aging wastewater system.

A multi-million dollar state investment will fund a rebuild of the city's wastewater treatment plant.

Blanchard is receiving $5.5 million from the state's Water Sector Program. The town has applied for the grant for nearly a decade. The money will fund a new plant on the same site.

Blanchard Mayor Jim Galambos hopes the facility will alleviate some of the issues the town has been experiencing. 

Those issues have been a growing concern for city leaders. Environmental standards are getting tougher, and the current system is falling short, he said.

"We have some ammonia levels that are too high to put into the discharge. That comes because we're unable to keep the good bacteria in the reservoirs," Galambos said.

According to Galambos, the new plant will be fully approved by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, meeting Environmental Protection Agency standards.

The project doesn't stop at the treatment plant. City leaders are also planning upgrades to the broader sewer network.

"We spent months working with our sewer operators, making suggested changes because they're the guys that are boots on the ground. This is very much needed, especially for our growing community," the mayor added.

Construction is expected to take just over a year, with bids going out by the end of July. For Blanchard residents, that means cleaner water and a new system built for the future.