NEW ORLEANS — Central City resident Billy Martin was shocked last month when he received a bill from the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans totaling just over 40,000 dollars.
“40,255 and 49 cents. Yeah don’t forget the 49 cents,” said Martin.
Martin and his partner live in a single-family home on Fourth Street and say they don’t use very much water daily.
“We bathe and we wash dishes, and we take care of the cats. That is about it,” he said. “I’m disabled and he is immune compromised, we need our water.”
Martin says he visited the agency and has gotten little to no answers. On one occasion he says a representative told him his home may have a leak, which he says isn’t possible.
Monday, he received a letter saying an investigation into his bill was complete and that his meter was working properly.
“Maybe we are paying for someone else’s water, and we don’t know it,” he said. “We don’t really know how to check that if the sewerage and water board won’t tell us.”
WWL Louisiana reached out about Martin’s bill to a spokesperson for the agency who said they would investigate it. At the time of this report, we had not received any word back on the case.
Billing headaches like Martin’s were just one of the focuses of a 24-page report released Wednesday by the governor’s SWBNO task force. The report proposes several solutions to the city’s well-documented challenges like drainage and governance of the agency.
The task force essentially calls for a state takeover of the board.
Among its priority recommendations, SWBNO must assume the Department of Public Works' drainage duties.
The task force also recommends appointing an independent arbitration panel to hear billing disputes and reform civil service requirements for the sewerage and water board.
The SWBNO issued a statement on Gov. Landry's task force:
"SWBNO's leadership team and Board of Directors are actively reviewing the recommendations put forth by the Governor’s Task Force.
"Our utility has made significant strides in recent years on critical projects outlined in our Strategic Plan. We continue to improve our infrastructure and resilience through capital projects such as the Power Complex and Smart Metering Program.
"We also acknowledge our challenges – many of which stem from decades of deferment due to a lack of funding and resources. We must continue to confront these issues head-on with a commitment to transparency, accountability, and meaningful change.
"SWBNO remains dedicated to customer service, workforce development, and organizational improvements to become the model utility New Orleans deserves. We are committed to working closely with all stakeholders, including elected officials, community leaders, and our valued employees and customers, to achieve this shared vision."
“It’s a starting point,” said city councilman Eugene Green. “If you put in place the resources that are needed and guarantee that our ratepayers are not going to be gouged, because these issues, which have been long term and outstanding for a while on a regional level must be addressed. If it can be done in a fair manner, then I will consider it.”
Martin told WWL Louisiana, he hopes the recommendations will mean he gets answers to his 40-thousand-dollar water bill in the future.
“It certainly is broken now,” said Martin. “I don’t see how it can get worse. Of course, you hate to say that. That’s the jinx.”
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