FERRIDAY — The Town of Ferriday went back to the basics Monday with a groundbreaking ceremony for a water treatment plant local and state leaders say is an absolute necessity for the town to move forward.

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., addressed a crowd gathered at Haney’s Big House Monday morning, saying the town has been held back by the lack of clean water available to citizens and businesses.

“No community in America should have to wait this long for clean drinking water,” Landrieu said. “This is really a groundbreaking — literally and figuratively — for the Town of Ferriday.

“Clean water is about as basic as you can get. It’s really hard to develop an economic future for a town without that basic need.”

The $6.6 million project includes replacing the city’s water supply from Old River to groundwater wells and making upgrades to the town water treatment facility.

Using Old River as a source has caused Ferriday’s water system to produce tinted and odorous water because of manganese levels in Old River in the past. From May 2009 to April 2010, the town was under a 344-day boil-water notice while emergency improvements were made to its water treatment facility.

“For years, the quality of the town’s water has plagued the citizens of Ferriday, and to finally see the fruit of all the administrations that have played a part in this very joyous occasion finally being sown is an emotional experience,” Ferriday Mayor Gene Allen said. “Providing the citizens of Ferriday with such a vital sustenance has been my No. 1 goal as mayor, and to finally see it coming to fruition is an extremely rewarding feeling.

“This is a wonderful day for the Town of Ferriday.”

Construction is complete on the new ground storage tank for the distribution system, the first phase of the project. The next phases consist of the automated meter reading project, water well improvements and water treatment facility improvements.

The project was funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development by a $5 million grant and a $1.6 million loan, which has been approved by the Louisiana Bond Commission.

The town anticipates repaying the loan over 40 years and maintaining the new system through a minimal increase in rates, which went into effect last year.

“We are ready to launch an extraordinary effort here,” Landrieu said. “While the budget in Washington is tight, we should always have enough money for clean water for Americans who work hard.”

The final phase of the project, slated for completion in 2016, consists of the installation of an aeration system and sedimentation basins to remove the majority of the iron, a manganese greens and pressure filter system and a zeolite softening system.