A Louisiana native, Ernst will lead relationships with regulators, community officials and customers across Louisiana, where the company has more than 100,000 water and wastewater customers.

“We are thrilled to add an experienced leader of Steve’s caliber who lives and breathes the Louisiana communities he will be serving,” said Josiah Cox, president and CEO of Magnolia Water and CSWR. “Steve’s been in this business for more than 36 years and he will help us continue to grow and improve our service and operational excellence.”

A Mandeville resident, Ernst previously led Resolve Systems, which Magnolia Water acquired, which served some 2,600 customers in the Slidell/Pearl River area.

“We have a lot of work to do and I’m excited to help lead that effort,” said Ernst. “We’re still relatively new here in Louisiana but we have a track record of purchasing systems that are often woefully underserved and quickly getting them up to standards. We are making necessary investments in Louisiana water infrastructure to ensure our communities continue to grow and thrive for years to come.”