NEW ORLEANS —
The New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board will begin installing new smart meters mid-September for residential and commercial customers across the city. Through a new program, SWBNO’s Smart Metering Program, customers will be able to monitor their own water usage and accurately track billing using an online portal.
By using digital smart meters, Sewerage and Water Board plan to address concerns over unexpectedly high bills, errors and routine estimations caused by having the meters ready manually. The wireless infrastructure will connect customers to their online billing system to get more reliable and on-time bills.
“We've spent the last few years planning and building the foundation for this system. Now, we hope our customers recognize we hear their concerns and are committed to modernizing our systems to meet their needs,” said Ghassan Korban, SWBNO Executive Director.
SWBNO are installing more base stations in the city, a key part of the wireless infrastructure that will help to make the smart meters “smart”. There are currently three base stations across the city, collecting 95 percent of the data from meters.
Almost 140,000 meters will be replaced and upgraded. The effort will take three years, starting with installing 1.5-inch and 2-inch diameter smart meters. Other meter sizes will be installed in late 2023.
“This modern technology will create more financial stability and play an integral role in the generational investments being made to improve our aging utility,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
Customers can be on the lookout for a notification from SWBNO for installations.
Before SWBNO installs a meter, the utility will provide:
A postcard notification to the account holder four to five weeks prior to installation,
A postcard notification to the service address about two weeks before the installation, and
A door hanger at the service address on the day of the installation with important details about their new smart meter.
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