ST. FRANCISVILLE - After being awarded state-issued grants, Cablesouth Media and Swyft Fiber have been busy expanding internet services to rural areas of the country, including in West Feliciana Parish. In May, Parish President Kenny Havard issued the company a cease-and-desist letter over repeated damage to parish water lines.

"We just can't have three water breaks a day, and that's what they were doing," said Havard.

Parish President Havard says since the project's start, the parish has responded to at least 40 water line breaks, 20 of which have been documented. He says the cease and desist is to prevent the company from doing any more damage to the water system, which has prompted six boil water advisories in the parish. Havard says the repairs are draining the parish's "rainy day" fund.

"It's a public safety issue," he said. 

In response to the cease-and-desist letter, Cablesouth requested evidence to support the allegations. Cablesouth Media President Robert Leithman says they're still waiting for that evidence.

"We have not received anything to date," said Leithman.

Months have passed by, Cablesouth Media provided 2 On Your Side with correspondence notes of calls and emails sent, noting attempts to obtain information from the parish, including reports and invoices. 

"If we've broken something and it's our fault, we want to pay for it," said Leithman.

The parish responded to those attempts at the end of July, noting that it would continue to put together a full cost estimate for the damages caused by Cablesouth. However, to lift the cease-and-desist, the parish is demanding a payment of $250,000 and an additional $250,000 if Cablesouth Media does not complete its work by the project deadline of December 31, 2025.

"In our opinion, that's not consistent with the rules and the laws," said Leithman.

Cablesouth is adamant it needs the documentation to file claims with insurance. The parish says the company needs to pay for the damages. 

"We desperately want to work through this and get things operational for the customers. We want to be good corporate citizens. If we've broken something and it's our fault, we want to pay for it, and we're struggling with that right now," said Leithman.

Cablesouth says it's finished with the GUMBO project in West Feliciana Parish, but is unable to connect customers to the facilities that have been built due to the cease and desist.

"We've got millions of dollars invested in underground cables that we literally can't turn on, and that's unfortunate," said Leithman.

One of those future customers in St. Francisville has reached out to 2 On Your Side. They are one of several families who have paid deposits for services and remain stuck in limbo. 

Cablesouth says it has had issues with utility locates. They say 811 locates have been "sporadic at best, and that's generous." Havard says the water lines aren't traceable and have to be probed, which takes a lot of time.