Rapides Parish, Louisiana: drinking water report. Rapides Parish in central Louisiana has a population of about 131,000, centered on Alexandria.
Rapides Parish in central Louisiana has a population of about 131,000, centered on Alexandria. The parish draws water from the Red River and groundwater from the Southern Hills and Chicot aquifer systems. England Air Force Base (decommissioned in 1992) left behind a contamination footprint that the community is still managing. The Red River carries agricultural and industrial discharges from upstream communities in Arkansas and north Louisiana.
The former England AFB is a confirmed PFAS contamination source. According to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality's 2024 investigation report, AFFF-related PFAS compounds were detected in groundwater monitoring wells near the former fire training areas at concentrations exceeding 200 ppt for combined PFOS and PFOA. The base has been partially redeveloped as an industrial park, but the contamination plume extends beyond the property boundary.
The Red River's water quality fluctuates significantly with upstream conditions. A 2023 USGS study of the Red River basin documented elevated levels of total dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate at the Alexandria monitoring station – reflecting the river's passage through salt dome geology in northwest Louisiana and Arkansas.
If you live near the former England AFB area, PFAS exposure should be on your radar. The LDEQ has conducted some public outreach, but well owners in the vicinity should pursue independent testing.
Check your water for current monitoring data. For PFAS, reverse osmosis is the most effective household treatment. For TDS and mineral taste issues from Red River water, RO also helps. Our water filter guide covers both scenarios. Pull your detailed report for historical trends, and see our Louisiana page for statewide data.
Drinking water is one exposure route. These federal datasets also cover Rapides Parish, LA.
The EPA places Rapides Parish, LA in Zone 3 - the EPA's lowest-risk category, with a predicted average indoor radon level below 2 pCi/L. Zone maps predict an area's radon potential from geology and existing indoor readings; they say nothing about a specific house. Testing is the only way to know your own level.
52% of homes in Rapides Parish, LA were built before 1980, and 12% before 1950. Residential lead paint was banned in 1978, so housing age is the strongest available proxy for lead-paint exposure. This describes the county's housing stock, not any one home.
Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) in Rapides Parish, LA averages 8.5 µg/m³, within the EPA's annual standard of 9 µg/m³. These are CDC modelled county estimates rather than readings from a specific monitor.
How radon zones work · Air quality by county · Lead exposure guide