Water system extension opens new opportunities

Rayville Mayor Harry Lewis hopes the town’s newest water system expansion will lead to economic growth.

The town has plans to use a pair of capital outlay grants of $740,000 and $6,960,000 to extend the town’s water lines 16 miles along US Hwy 80 to the Franklin Farms Megasite.

“This would open up all the property between Rayville and the Franklin Farms Megasite to be developed commercially,” Lewis said.

The state is working to develop the site, hoping to interest a large employer or industry to locate in Richland Parish. In addition to making access to Rayville’s water system available to the site and the property between Rayville and the site, Lewis said the connection will increase the value of the megasite to potential industries.

“When people are looking at locating an industry there, they want to know if the infrastructure is available,” Lewis said. “They don’t want to wait three or four years for water or sewer to be available. With this project, we can tell people those services are already available at the site.”