Water Agency Sues Louisiana Barge Owner Over Crash

The Louisiana agency that supplies drinking water for Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes has sued the owner of a barge that allegedly crashed into a water intake protector called a dolphin.

Hugh Caffery, board chairman for the Bayou Lafourche Fresh Water District, says repairs to the tripod-like structure are expected to cost about $100,000.

He tells the Courier that the board sued D&S Marine Services of Houma because it could not get the company to pay for the damage.

D&S officials could not be reached late last week or Sunday.

The lawsuit filed in state court in Thibodaux alleges that the crash occurred before dawn on Sept. 17, 2012, when rain cut visibility. Caffery says district workers identified the barge through the U.S. Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic System.