Membership Requirements

Welcome to the Lewisburg-Bellevue Water System Community. 

Requirements for Membership.  Any bona fide owner of a rural residence having a reasonable accessibility to the source of, and who are in need of having water supplied for domestic, livestock and garden purposes, from the water system constructed, maintained and operated by the Corporation may become a member in Lewisburg-Bellevue Water System, Inc. by:

  1. Filing a written application for membership therein;
  2. Agreeing to purchase from the Corporation potable water as hereinafter specified;
  3. Agreeing to comply with and be bound by the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Corporation and any rules and regulations adopted by the Board of Directors; and
  4. Paying the membership fee hereinafter specified: provided, however, that no Person shall become a member unless and until he or she has been accepted for membership by the Board of Directors or the members.  No member may hold more than one membership in the Corporation, and no membership in the Corporation shall be transferable.

Individual renters, commercial businesses, firms, corporations, partnerships, associations, business trusts, federal agencies thereof or any political subdivision of the State of Louisiana who are in need of water supplied from the Corporation are not eligible in membership in the Corporation may apply for water service form the Lewisburg-Bellevue Water System, Inc. by:

  1. Filing a written application for water service;
  2. Agreeing to purchase from the Corporation potable water as hereinafter specified;
  3. Agreeing to comply with and be bound by the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Corporation and any rules and regulations adopted by the Board of Directors: and
  4. Paying the specified application fee and deposit as set forth by the Corporation.
  5. With respect to any account established by a renter, commercial business, firms, co-operations, partnerships, association, business trust, federal agencies thereof, or any political subdivision of the State of Louisiana, the Board of Directors reserves the right to consider each account on an individual basis and will set a specific deposit fee for that potential customer.  The Board of Directors further reserves the right to deny service to any potential customer who may consume unusually large quantities of water which would affect production and distribution of water to customers.

No person or firm otherwise eligible shall be admitted to the Corporation if the capacity of the Corporation’s water system is exhausted by the needs of its existing members, unless a proposed new member is purchasing a property presently served by the Corporation and when the seller is retaining his membership because of other property or properties he may own that is presently served by the Corporation.

Spouse Membership.  A husband and wife may apply for a membership and, subject to their compliance with the requirements set forth in Section 1 of this Article, may be accepted for such membership.  The term “member” as used in these By-Laws shall be deemed to include a husband and wife holding a membership and any provisions relating to the rights and liabilities of membership shall apply equally with respect to holders of a membership.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the effect of the hereinafter specified actions by or in respect to the holders of a membership shall be as follows:

  1. The presence at a meeting of either or both shall be regarded as the presence of one member and shall have the effect of constituting a joint waiver of notice of the meeting;
  2. Either the husband or the wife, or both jointly, shall be entitled to vote the membership, provided, however, the vote of either separately or both jointly shall constitute only one vote;
  3. A waiver of notice signed by either or both shall constitute a joint waiver;
  4. Notice to either shall constitute notice to both;
  5. Expulsion of either shall terminate the membership;
  6. Withdrawal of either shall terminate the membership;
  7. Either, but not both, may be elected or appointed as an officer or director provided that both meet the qualifications for such office.
  8. In the event a husband and wife should divorce, only the spouse who retains possession of the home and actually physically occupies the home will be the qualified member.  The spouse who does not occupy the home or who does not receive ownership of the residence following the divorce shall no longer be considered a member unless that spouse applies for membership at another LBWS location.
  9. In the event of the death of one of the spouses, the surviving spouse shall submit to the Board of Directors a death certificate or, in lieu thereof, a newspaper obituary to confirm the death of the spouse.  Following receipt of proof of death of one spouse, the surviving spouse shall become the qualified member.