Louisiana Water Systems Serving the Most Disadvantaged Populations — 2026
Louisiana community water utilities serving populations with the highest combined percent of non-white residents and households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (Census ACS 2019-2023, aggregated via EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3).
ranked
with demographic data
vintage
boundaries (March 2026)
These 50 Louisiana water utilities serve populations with the highest combined percent of non-white residents and households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Within-size-class percentile rankings neutralize the confound of system size; no geographic cap is applied at the state level because all utilities are within a single state.
| Rank | Water System | State | Pop served | Equity score | % PoC served | % Below 200% FPL | Unresolved violations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grambling Water System | Louisiana | 3,903 | 96 | 73% | 69% | 9 |
| 2 | Mansfield Water System | Louisiana | 4,045 | 95.6 | 72% | 60% | 11 |
| 3 | Tallulah Water System | Louisiana | 5,558 | 95.6 | 71% | 62% | 9 |
| 4 | Parish Utilities of Ascension | Louisiana | 3,992 | 94.4 | 73% | 51% | 1 |
| 5 | City of Opelousas Water System | Louisiana | 14,662 | 92.5 | 63% | 51% | 3 |
| 6 | Town of Ferriday Water System | Louisiana | 3,553 | 91.4 | 57% | 56% | 32 |
| 7 | City of Alexandria Water System | Louisiana | 40,394 | 91.1 | 60% | 50% | — |
| 8 | Town of Leonville Water System | Louisiana | 6,695 | 90.8 | 58% | 50% | — |
| 9 | Bastrop Water System | Louisiana | 11,184 | 90.3 | 55% | 52% | 1 |
| 10 | Gretna Waterworks | Louisiana | 29,053 | 89.9 | 66% | 44% | — |
| 11 | New Orleans Algiers Water Works | Louisiana | 37,431 | 89.6 | 75% | 42% | 1 |
| 12 | City of Baker Water System | Louisiana | 11,555 | 89.2 | 76% | 41% | 1 |
| 13 | Ruston Water System | Louisiana | 20,097 | 87.9 | 49% | 52% | — |
| 14 | Natchitoches Water System | Louisiana | 19,035 | 87.8 | 54% | 47% | — |
| 15 | Franklin Water Supply | Louisiana | 8,444 | 87.6 | 55% | 45% | 29 |
| 16 | Westwego Waterworks | Louisiana | 21,861 | 86.8 | 63% | 41% | — |
| 17 | Minden Water System | Louisiana | 10,789 | 86.6 | 44% | 59% | — |
| 18 | Patterson Water System | Louisiana | 4,405 | 85.9 | 47% | 48% | 5 |
| 19 | City of Winnfield Water System | Louisiana | 3,924 | 85.5 | 47% | 47% | 2 |
| 20 | New Orleans Carrollton Water Works | Louisiana | 346,965 | 84.9 | 70% | 41% | 1 |
| 21 | Gowc East Water System | Louisiana | 8,407 | 84.8 | 54% | 42% | — |
| 22 | City of Bogalusa Water System | Louisiana | 7,294 | 84.4 | 43% | 49% | 11 |
| 23 | New Roads Water System | Louisiana | 5,269 | 84.2 | 60% | 40% | 1 |
| 24 | Town & Country Service | Louisiana | 7,324 | 83.8 | 53% | 42% | — |
| 25 | City of Hammond Water System | Louisiana | 17,370 | 82.9 | 45% | 45% | — |
| 26 | Winnsboro Water System | Louisiana | 4,426 | 82.8 | 39% | 52% | 5 |
| 27 | Rayville Water System | Louisiana | 3,326 | 82.5 | 40% | 49% | 9 |
| 28 | City of Oakdale Water System | Louisiana | 5,657 | 82.4 | 46% | 43% | 3 |
| 29 | Monroe Water System | Louisiana | 30,459 | 82.3 | 49% | 42% | — |
| 30 | City of Ville Platte Water System | Louisiana | 6,922 | 82.1 | 39% | 49% | — |
| 31 | Shreveport Water System | Louisiana | 160,108 | 81.4 | 61% | 45% | 7 |
| 32 | St Bernard Parish Waterworks | Louisiana | 32,395 | 81.4 | 43% | 44% | — |
| 33 | City of Lake Charles Water System | Louisiana | 85,779 | 80 | 50% | 39% | — |
| 34 | Town of Sunset Water System | Louisiana | 3,848 | 79.7 | 41% | 43% | — |
| 35 | City of Marksville Water System | Louisiana | 5,968 | 79.6 | 37% | 46% | — |
| 36 | Utilities Inc. - Hammond Heights | Louisiana | 4,097 | 79.6 | 41% | 42% | — |
| 37 | Bayou Liberty Water Association | Louisiana | 8,980 | 79.2 | 47% | 39% | — |
| 38 | New Iberia Water System (Lawco) | Louisiana | 33,517 | 78.9 | 40% | 43% | — |
| 39 | Assumption Parish Ww District 1 | Louisiana | 5,531 | 78.8 | 46% | 40% | — |
| 40 | Tangipahoa Parish Water District | Louisiana | 13,006 | 78.6 | 41% | 42% | — |
| 41 | Eunice Water System (Lawco) | Louisiana | 10,254 | 77.7 | 33% | 48% | — |
| 42 | Lpwd South | Louisiana | 4,408 | 77.4 | 38% | 42% | — |
| 43 | Town of Amite Water System | Louisiana | 3,836 | 77.1 | 51% | 36% | — |
| 44 | City of Breaux Bridge Water System | Louisiana | 9,417 | 76.5 | 38% | 41% | 1 |
| 45 | Savoy Swords Water System Inc | Louisiana | 6,622 | 76.4 | 32% | 46% | 2 |
| 46 | Crowley Water System (Lawco) | Louisiana | 12,025 | 76.2 | 28% | 60% | — |
| 47 | Henderson Nina Water System Inc. | Louisiana | 4,447 | 76.1 | 38% | 41% | — |
| 48 | Morgan City Water System | Louisiana | 9,988 | 75.8 | 35% | 43% | — |
| 49 | St Mary Parish W&S #2 Bayou Vista | Louisiana | 4,036 | 75.8 | 35% | 43% | — |
| 50 | City of Abbeville Water System | Louisiana | 10,575 | 75.6 | 35% | 42% | — |
How to read this ranking
Each row links to a full utility profile with violation history, lead testing results, and service-area ZIPs. The demographic context columns are from independent data sources (ACS, not EJScreen) and are provided for readers who want to examine equity patterns alongside the operational data.
See the full methodology for calculation details, data vintages, and known limitations.
Frequently asked questions
What does the "equity score" mean?
A 0-100 composite that combines two within-size-class percentile ranks: (1) percent of population served that is non-white (Census ACS B03002), and (2) percent below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (Census ACS C17002). Within-size-class comparison (small, medium, large) is used because small rural systems and large urban systems have structurally different demographic profiles; mixing them in a single ranking produces a methodologically weak list dominated by size rather than disparity.
Why is the list capped at 5 systems per state?
Without a cap, the list concentrates in states with large numbers of historically disadvantaged small-to-medium systems (Texas, California). A geographic diversity cap produces a more nationally-representative snapshot. Per-state rankings, if available, show the full within-state comparison without a cap.
Does this claim discrimination?
No. It reports a demographic fact: these water utilities serve populations that are more non-white and lower-income than the national median, after controlling for system size. Causation — why that pattern exists — is a separate research question requiring different data and methods.
ZipCheckup is an independent public-data tool. We are a referral service and do not provide water testing, remediation, or utility services. Rankings reflect publicly-available federal data and are provided for informational purposes. For issues with your specific water system, contact your local water utility or state drinking water program.