By Tiffany Flournoy –
Editor’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing independent reporting series that began in late 2025 examining municipal operations, public accountability and transparency in the Town of Cullen. The reporting and original work in this series were independently produced.
CULLEN, La. — Chlorine has been placed back into Cullen’s water system after months of supply problems, but residents remain under a boil advisory as questions persist about the town’s water-treatment oversight.
During the town’s Oct. 27 regular meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Floydean White announced that Cullen was “off the boil advisory.” She retracted the announcement after residents questioned when the advisory had been lifted and which authority had authorized the change.
Town officials have urged residents to continue following the boil advisory until further notice. The advisory has not been officially lifted.
Chlorine was placed into Cullen’s water system in late October. The town office confirmed Aqua Pro as the new supplier, but it remains unclear who installed the chlorine cylinders.
The development follows months of difficulty maintaining an adequate chlorine supply and an outstanding debt to Hawkins, the town’s previous supplier.
White said Cullen recently paid Hawkins $4,000 toward its outstanding balance, but the company declined to continue supplying the town.
“Hawkins was our providers for our chlorine. We had gotten so far behind,” White said during the meeting.
White said Hawkins had requested $8,000. Because the town could not afford that amount, she asked whether the company would accept half. The town issued a $4,000 check, but Hawkins subsequently indicated it no longer wanted to work with Cullen, she said.
Cullen has been without a certified water-treatment technician for at least a year. Louisiana requires public water systems to operate under the supervision and control of a certified operator.
During previous town meetings, officials discussed an individual working toward certification and the coursework involved. The individual’s current certification status and who oversees Cullen’s chlorination process remain unclear.
Chlorine disinfects drinking water and helps protect against microbial contamination as water moves through distribution pipes. Its placement into the system does not, by itself, establish that the water meets applicable requirements or that the boil advisory can be lifted.
In September, White acknowledged that the Louisiana Department of Health had visited Cullen earlier that month and that the town had missed deadlines to address previously identified deficiencies.
“They have written us up once or twice before. They gave us a certain amount of time. We did not fulfill that time,” White said.
The specific deficiencies cited by state health officials and the corrective deadlines the town missed were not established in the information available from that meeting.
The Oct. 27 meeting also raised questions about public access to town business. Once again, the agenda was not approved through a recorded vote, and residents were not given an opportunity to comment before agenda items were addressed and voted on.
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