By Bonnie Culverhouse

A sewer lift station off Shreveport Road is in need of replacement, and City of Minden officials hope their recent trip to Washington DC will mean federal grant money to handle the project.

The lift station services Robertson Trailer Park and all the industrial area on Erwin Thompson Drive.

“Not only is it for the residents at Robertson, but it’s for the biggest industry in the whole parish,” Mayor Nick Cox said, referring to Fibrebond Corporation, “and all the other businesses around it.”

If the funding comes through, the old lift station will continue to service the area while the new one is built.

Robertson Lift Station Replacement Project

PROJECT TIMELINE: 18 MONTHS

The City of Minden is seeking approximately $1,149,000 in federal, state, and local funding to replace a critical lift station in the city’s wastewater collection system.

The Robertson Lift Station was originally constructed in the 1960s as a duplex submersible wet pit/dry pit then was modified in the 1980s with duplex self-priming pumps mounted above the wet pit. Unfortunately, this modification has caused numerous issues over the years and is also no longer capable of handling peak flows.

The proposed project will construct a new lift station to meet the average and peak design flow rates of the service area. During the construction of the new facility, the existing lift station will remain in service to minimize the need for bypass pumping, and will be demolished once the proposed lift station is complete.

Funding & Support Needed

Estimated Funding Needed: $1,149,000

Construction: $958,000

Design: $95,800

Contingencies: $95,800

Potential Funding Opportunities

• State Capital Outlay (pending)

• Louisiana Community Development Block

Grant Make a Difference Program

• FY 2026 Congressionally Directed Spending