FERRIDAY, La. – Replacement of sewer lines in south Ferriday will not be finished by the end of the year — but it has to be finished by March, said Mayor Glen McGlothin.

The project, which is being constructed by Pickett Industries, was started in late June but has experienced delays due to severe weather.

Crews have also hit water lines because the lines are drawn in the wrong places on the town’s existing maps.

&uot;But we’re hoping they’re finished by late February or early March,&uot;&160;McGlothin said. &uot;Because if they’re not, we can’t apply for this other grant.&uot;

McGlothin was referring to a $600,000 Louisiana Development Block Grant the town hopes to apply for in March to replace aging water lines.

The current work is being done with a $999,849 grant the town received in late November 1998 for sewer improvement projects.

Until that grant is completely spent, the town cannot apply for another Community Development Block Grant.

The current work involves replacing decades-old sewer lines that are leaking.

In the past, sewer problems, such as sewage backing into houses and yards, have often been a complaint of residents attending Ferriday Town Council meetings.

After the town was notified that it had received the sewer grant, Bryant Hammett, the town’s engineer, reviewed Ferriday’s sewer system to see what specific improvements needed to be made with the money.