History and Service

LUS was created to improve the quality of life of its citizens. In 1896, a majority of Lafayette's residents petitioned the mayor and city council to call an election. "We the undersigned constituting more than one-third of the property taxpayers of the incorporated town of Lafayette, Louisiana, believing that a water supply and means of lighting our town and streets are urgent public necessities, and understanding the established rates of taxation to be insufficient to obtain these benefits, hereby petition you as the governing body of said town to levy and collect an increased rate of taxation, . . . for the purpose of procuring, constructing and operating a waterworks and electric light-system therein. . ." By 1897, the Grant Street plant was completed and generating electricity. Water and wastewater services followed soon after.

LUS Electric

• More than 57,000 retail customers
• More than 828 miles of primary distribution line
• Sales of approximately 2 billion retail and wholesale kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year
• Annual peak of approximately 483 Megawatts
• Louis "Doc" Bonin Generating Station (gas-fired) with a gross capacity of 295 Megawatts
• Rodemacher Generating Station (coal-fired) located in Boyce, Louisiana; 50% ownership (246 Megawatts)
• T. J. Labbé Generating Station (gas-fired) with a gross capacity of 100 Megawatts (online July 2006)
• Hargis-Hébert Generating Station (gas-fired) with a gross capacity of 100 Megawatts (online August 2005)

LUS Water

• More than 47,000 retail customers
• Four water production facilities-47 million gallons capacity with an average daily production of 22.5 million gallons
• Chicot Aquifer water source
• More than 957 miles of water distribution pipe
• Historical peak production of 28.9 million gallons

View the 2007 LUS Water Quality Report

View historic LUS Water Quality Reports

LUS Wastewater

• More than 38,000 retail customers
• Four treatment plants-total daily capacity of 18.5 million gallons
• More than 650 miles of collection pipe and 120 lift stations

LUS Telecommunications

LUS POWERED NETWORK: www.lusnet.net

LUS Fiber For the Future Initiative: www.fiberforthefuture.com

• 65-mile, 96-strand SONET based network infrastructure
• Utilized for LUS electric transmission and distribution system communication to maintain a high level of power reliability for the community
• Remaining fiber available to wholesale telecommunications customers to facilitate broadband and high-speed Internet access

Note: The above data reflects fiscal year end October 2005 figures.