Our Employees

Lafayette Utilities System, a department of Lafayette Consolidated Government, employs 530 individuals within 22 operating divisions. Each day, these employees work together to keep the lights on and the water flowing.

POWER PRODUCTION:

The Power Production Division is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Louis "Doc" Bonin gas-fired steam turbine generation facility (3 units for a total of 295 MW)and the T.J. Labbé and Hargis-Hébert gas-fired combustion turbine generation facilities (4 units, 45 MW each).

ELECTRIC OPERATIONS:

The Electric Operation Division is responsible for all of the field activities associated with operating and maintaining the electrical transmission and distribution facilities. The functional activities include service calls, system construction, and system control and substation operations. The Energy Control Systems (ECS) section provides information for the scheduling and dispatch of generating sources and the operation of the System Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for LUS. The SCADA system provides direct control of the electric transmission and distribution system, as well as control and monitoring of certain water and wastewater facilities equipment. Electric Operations is also responsible for facilities management including warehousing, building and grounds maintenance, and security.

WATER PRODUCTION:

The Water Production Division is responsible for the production of more than 22 million gallons daily of high-quality, good tasting drinking water to its customers. LUS' drinking water has been selected as the "Best Tasting Water" in Louisiana many times over the past several years. Plant staff work around the clock to monitor plant operations to ensure the continuous supply of water to all of our customers. LUS has never been cited for violations of drinking water standards for as far back as records are available. Recent upgrades to both water treatment plants will ensure that the unblemished compliance history continues.

WATER DISTRIBUTION:

The Water Distribution Division is responsible for maintaining our water distribution system which supplies water to individual customer connections. The water system is also a crucial part of the public safety system by providing water for fire protection. More than 6,000 fire hydrants are checked annually to ensure that they are in good working order when needed.

WASTEWATER TREATMENT:

The Wastewater Treatment Division is responsible for the operation of four Wastewater Treatment Facilities with a total treatment capacity of 18.5 million gallons. The water treated is returned to the Vermilion River cleaner than the river itself. Biosolids from the plant are recycled on EPA approved landfarm sites for Beneficial Reuse.

WASTEWATER COLLECTION:

The Wastewater Collection Division is responsible for keeping the wastewater system flowing without any inconvenience to customers. The Division maintains over 560 miles of wastewater lines and more than 11,000 manholes. The Division also has responsibilities for more than 140 lift stations throughout the city. It is our job to keep the lines flowing and the customer pleased with our efforts.

SUPPORT SERVICES:

The Support Services Division is responsible for rate development, analysis and administration; financial analysis and budget preparation; business and marketing analysis; staff development and public information.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE:

The Environmental Compliance Division is responsible for coordinating compliance with environmental regulations as they relate to LUS including management of water quality, air quality and wastewater discharge quality. Areas of concentration are wastewater industrial pretreatment (discharge permits and fees), sludge landfarming, water and wastewater laboratories, PCB programs, site remediations, and other special projects.

CUSTOMER AND METER SERVICES:

The Customer Service Division is responsible for the opening and closing of utility accounts, payment and bill processing, handling of delinquent and uncollectible accounts, responding to customer billing questions, meter reading, and collection of other licenses, fees, and permits.

ENGINEERING:

The Engineering Division is responsible for all engineering activities necessary to operate and maintain LUS. The functional activities of this division include forecasting, system planning, system design and GIS. The Utility Marketing Section is responsible for the procurement of fuel, wholesale electric purchases, sales contract administration, review of regulatory matters and issues and billing of wholesale customers. The Civil Engineering section is responsible for the planning, design, construction and maintenance of the LUS water and wastewater systems. The Electrical Engineering section is responsible for electric transmission, substation and distribution design including the integration of equipment into the electrical grid.

LUS FIBER TELECOMMUNICATIONS:

LUS Fiber is responsible for building a fiber-fast community, bringing fiber optics directly to every home and business in the city, creating Lafayette's first 100% Fiber-To-The-Home network. Our network will span over 870 miles of fiber optic cable, more than any other provider, putting Lafayette ahead of the digital curve. This powerful communications infrastructure will deliver video, Internet and phone services directly to more than 60,000 homes and businesses. Better, faster and more cost-efficient communications means improved quality of life and greater opportunities for economic development.  Welcome to your future.