Jefferson Parish Administration addresses water bill concerns

JEFFERSON PARISH, La. ( WGNO ) — Some Jefferson Parish residents are concerned after noticing drastically higher water bills. One resident says, in the 30 years he’s lived there, it is the biggest bill he’s received.

“The meter reading is 500 something every single meter. I live alone. My water bill will fluctuate from three to 6,000 gallons when I’m not using more than two. I don’t even shower every day,” said one Jefferson Parish resident.

“Look at your water consumption and see if those differences make sense,” said Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng.

Sheng explains the higher bills are due to a rate increase that the council approved for the next 20 years. It covers upgrades for the sewerage and water systems and a new garbage contract.

“Part of those increases is to give you a modern water and sewerage infrastructure system. So, automatic meter readers are something that you will have. It’s going to take us a couple of years to implement,” said Sheng.

She wants residents to see the increase as a utility bill going forward since water usage only plays a small role in the cost you pay bi-monthly.

“It’s a utility bill that offers many other services including sewer, garbage and mosquito control. Sewer is charged by the gallons of water you use, and it’s charged at a higher rate than what we charge for water,” said Sheng.

Sheng says residents with proof of leaks can get their bill adjusted after a repair. Due to a small staff and a high volume of calls, the new call-back feature can keep residents from waiting for answers.

“The least number of people we have the longer you are going to wait for your phone calls, and we don’t want that situation but that’s the situation we face. So, when the calls increase, the longer you are going to wait,” said Sheng.

Residents experiencing drastic hikes can contact the parish and show where there is a mistake involving the increase to their bill.

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