SB244: The Governor’s Bill That Put Your Water at Risk

When Governor Jeff Landry signed SB244 into law this summer, most Louisianans never heard a word about it. The bill was branded as “water management reform.” In reality, it was a power grab over your drinking water — and it could spell disaster for the 15 parishes that rely on the Chicot Aquifer as their only source of fresh water.

What SB244 Really Did

SB244 centralized control of water under Baton Rouge.

• Parish governments and local water districts lost authority.
  
  
• A new state-controlled board now decides how Louisiana’s aquifers are managed, tapped, and potentially exploited.
  
  
• The same Office of Conservation — already handing out CCS injection well permits like candy — now has more control than ever over groundwater.
  
  

For the half a million citizens who drink from the Chicot Aquifer, this means one thing: your only water source is now at the mercy of state officials who answer to industry, not you.

Why This Is Dangerous

• The Chicot Aquifer has no backup. If it’s contaminated, the taps go dry for 15 parishes.
  
  
• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) injection wells are being greenlit in Allen, Rapides, and now Vernon Parish — directly above the aquifer.
  
  
• SB244 stripped away your local defenses. Parish ordinances and Police Jury votes used to be the last firewall. That firewall is now riddled with holes.
  
  

The Vernon Parish Betrayal

Just days ago, 8 members of the Vernon Parish Police Jury voted to support CCS projects in their parish. These men voted to gamble with the sole water source for their own people — the same aquifer their families and children drink from.

This isn’t just a policy disagreement. This is a betrayal of public trust.

The Governor’s Hand

Make no mistake: SB244 is the Governor’s Bill. By signing it, Governor Jeff Landry handed over Louisiana’s water rights to a system designed to favor industry. Instead of protecting your water, he gave the green light to projects that could poison it — while capping corporate liability at just $10 million per company.

Compare that to real disasters:

• Flint, Michigan water crisis: $1.5 billion
  
  
• Bayou Corne sinkhole: $1 billion
  
  
• Projected Chicot disaster: $3.5–4 billion
  
  

Do the math. The people will be left with the bill.

Citizens Must Wake Up

The writing is on the wall. Unless citizens of the 15 parishes wake up and push back, Louisiana’s most vital aquifer could become collateral damage in a political and corporate deal.

The Last Drop: Louisiana’s Gamble with the Chicot Aquifer
 CO₂ Chronicles is releasing a full exposé — pulling back the curtain on the true costs, the political backroom deals, and the danger staring every family in central and southwest Louisiana in the face.

👉 Read Part 1 now. Share it with your neighbors.
 👉 Subscribe for the full series.

Because when the last drop is gone, there are no do-overs.