Thousands of Sewerage & Water Board customers face potential shut-offs
6th August 2018 · 0 Comments
By Emeka Dibia
Contributing Writer
On August 1, the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans resumed normal collections, leaving thousands of customers with past-due bills at risk of losing service.
Last November, the Sewerage & Water Board placed the practice on hold because of several factors including: a sharp increase of disputed bills, staffing issues and technical difficulties with the implementation of a new billing system.
The Sewerage & Water Board explains it comes as its cash reserves decreased to an amount only able to cover expenses for 106 days. Officials would like to reach 180 days and collect more than $21.8 million in lost revenue.
In a statement, the utility said “to delay the reinstitution of collections any longer would put this agency at great financial risk, jeopardizing its mission to drain storm water, treat and remove wastewater and provide safe drinking water for the City. The S&WB has invested $82 million in emergency repairs to its drainage system since the flood last year, which has strained the budget.”
Currently, about 17,000 customers have delinquent and undisputed bills and could potentially face disconnections. The Sewerage & Water Board says these customers have owed $50 or more for over 60 days.
Customers who formally dispute their bills will not face shut-offs. There are about 4,500 customers who fall into that category. A “strike team” of billing experts has been tapped to work on that issue until all disputes are resolved. The agency reports the team has resolved more than 3,000 disputes since May.
Before the decision to move forward with shuts-offs the Sewerage & Water Board representatives sat before the New Orleans City Council Public Works, Sanitation, and Environment Committee on July 24 to explain collection plans. City Council members overwhelmingly objected to the idea of shut-offs.
Several council members questioned the process of which customers would be notified and cited recent issues with inaccurate billing as grounds to hold off on disconnections.
“I think a strike force focused on doing this (resolving disputed bills), is like having a strike force focused on drapes when the whole house is on fire,” said City Council President Jason Williams.
District A Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer probed the agency about wait times and the procedure to dispute bills. She also questioned the clarity of the process and its ability to be streamlined online for individuals to find out if their bills are delinquent.
“I don’t think we’re anywhere close to having the ability to shut people’s water off,” Palmer said. “And I don’t think this is an open and transparent process. And I definitely don’t think it’s customer friendly where we can find what the information is.”
The Sewerage & Water Board did not need the City Council’s approval to move forward with shut-offs. Since that meeting, the agency has beefed up communications about how customers can resolve issues and extended hours.
Anyone with delinquent accounts will receive a letter giving them 14 days to pay in full or arrange a payment plan. A payment plan requires 25 percent deposit up front. The remaining balance is divided among future bills for six to nine months.
Another issue the Sewerage & Water Board is dealing with is 9,000 customers who have yet to receive water bills. These people are in a group who have changed addresses. Sewerage & Water Board’s press secretary D’Seante Parks says a solution is in the works.
“That is a priority of ours. We will announce a remedy for this problem soon. It is an equal priority to get all fixes done to keep this agency running,” Parks said.
Customers with questions regarding their bills should:
• Call 52-WATER (504.529.2837);
• Pay in person at 625 St. Joseph St. on the East Bank, or 4021 Behrman Place, Suite M-2 on the West Bank;
• Pay online at www.account.swbno.org/app/login.jsp;
• Or send checks or money orders to: Cashiers Department 625 Saint Joseph Street New Orleans, LA 70165
Also, the Sewerage & Water Board has an assistance program for the elderly, disabled and economically disadvantaged. You can contact “Water Help” by calling 504-585-2298.
This article originally published in the August 6, 2018 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
