NEW ORLEANS — Customers in New Orleans could see a 10 to 25 percent increase in their utility bills with the Sewerage and Water Board upgrading its water meters, according to Nola.com.
S&WB said the manual readers do not capture the total amount of water usage a customer uses.
“Our meters in the ground are mechanical meters, and that means they have pieces on the inside that physically move," said S&WB Project Manager Rebecca Johnsey on Monday. "So over time, they get gunked up and they slow down, and it actually takes more and more water on the front end to start the movement," our partners reported.
The new smart meters aim to fix "estimated reads, human error and other technology problems." S&WB's online portal is set provide real-time water usage to customers.
However, with the new smart meters, customers could be surprised that the city's old meters may have been saving them a few dollars, Nola.com reported.
Councilmembers asked the utility company to "overdo" an educational campaign to teach the inform the public about the new meters and how it will impact their bills. Council member Eugene Green asked that the company hold community meetings in every council district.
“On the one hand, we can't not have people pay for service they're receiving, but on the other hand there will be sticker shock,” said Council member Joe Giarrusso.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.
