The St. Tammany Parish Council formally asked the state to address parish residents' concerns about a private water utility company, following an animated discussion Thursday night about a resolution that will ultimately be more symbolic than anything else.

The final version of the resolution, which the council passed 10-3 after an hour of debate, does not point to any specific provider. Instead, it asks St. Tammany's legislative delegation, the Louisiana Department of Health and the Public Service Commission to respond to residents' concerns about private utilities more generally.

But the impetus for the resolution was undoubtedly Magnolia Water, a private utility company that provides water and sewer to at least 62,000 customers in the parish and that has faced recent scrutiny as res

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