The amount of money owed to the Sewerage & Water Board has gone up the last two years -- but collections? They’ve apparently gone down.
During a meeting Tuesday of the City Council’s Public Works Committee, members said the agency could be leaving anywhere between $130 million and $140 million on the table. The committee members said the money has not been collected from customers for water and sewer service.
But that amount isn’t certain since it’s not clear if all the unpaid bills are accurate, said Council Vice President Helena Moreno.
“This is mind-boggling,” Moreno said.
S&WB Executive Director Ghassan Korban said it is likely the case that the council’s figures are off, meaning the amount could be lower or even higher.
“There's certainly a factor in there in terms of inaccurate billings,” Korban told the council committee.
The agency’s long-standing billing issues took center stage as S&WB officials gave an update on its finances. And there was obvious frustration from council members and S&WB leaders that this topic was being discussed yet again.
“There's a certain expectation in New Orleans that things won't be fixed completely, but I think billing is different,” Public Works Committee Chairman Joe Giarrusso said.
Council President Jason Williams said that he understands the S&WB has many pressing issues, but that badly-needed money could help to solve some of them.
He said he can’t imagine any major company, such as Coca-Cola or Home Depot, possibly leaving money on the table.
“That’s not $10,000 we’re leaving on the table,” Moreno added. “That’s still a lot of money, but this is possibly $140 million.
Korban said the S&WB is trying to get bills accurate, and he said changes have been made, including hiring more meter readers and finding meters that haven’t been read in some time.
“There isn’t one action that's going to solve this,” he said. “There’s no magic wand, unfortunately.”