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S&WB cuts off water to 24 delinquent accounts Wednesday

The Sewerage and Water Board said the accounts were delinquent between 327 days and 690 days.

NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board shutoff water to 24 accounts Wednesday, Aug. 15 for customers who haven’t paid their bills, according to the mayor's office.

The accounts that were shut off were delinquent between 327 days and 690 days. The agency says the process will continue and it produces a list of 50 eligible accounts for shutoffs daily.

The threat of the S&WB shutting off water to some residents led to 12 other accounts entering into payment plans or disputes Wednesday.

"We want to make sure when we cut off that we're cutting off the right account and we have boots on the ground that are prepared if mistakes are made we can get that water turned right back on," Mayor Cantrell said.

These sentiments didn't leave residents feeling at ease.

"It is my concern that out of those 50 people who have their water cut off today, that we work very consciously to make sure that none of those 50 people represent any inflation, any inflation in those bills at all," the Pastor of Broadmoor Community Church said.

Residents are concerned customers without the resources to dispute unfair water bills could end up losing their services altogether.

"I have a job where I have the luxury to be able to come down here for hours and pay for parking and a lot of people in this town do not," resident Meg Lousteau said.

Despite recent changes to the Board and Administration, residents are still getting incorrect bills.

"You sent me a new bill for 600 on top of the thousand dollar bill you already sent me," resident Rita LaGrange said. "This is yesterday. This is an issue that happened yesterday."

Residents also wanted to know if they were on the list of people losing services. Customers say they shouldn't be left in the dark about the billing process, the investigations into high bills and whether or not their services are about to be cut.

Executive Director Jade Brown Russell says the utility has reached out to each of those customers several times and will send people to speak with them in person to make sure they know about the potential shut off.

The S&WB previously said that nearly 17,000 accounts are delinquent and have owed more than $50 for more than 60 days. That number accounts for nearly 12 percent of the agency’s total customers.

The S&WB says it hopes to recoup $21.8 million in lost revenue from the delinquent accounts.

“Shutoffs are a last resort,” the S&WB said in July. “Should your water service be disconnected, teams are standing by to reinstate service once you make a payment or enter a payment plan.”

The S&WB says it has reduced the number of disputed bills from 7,800 to 4,500. Residents that disagree with the agency’s decision on their disputed bill can request an administrative hearing.

Hearing officers will review accounts on a case-by-case basis and deliver a final ruling. The hearings will be downtown and in Algiers, and at community centers in each of the five City Council districts.

Another 9,000 customers have not received a bill since opening new accounts. The agency plans to address that issue in August.

The agency said that delaying normal collections could put the SWB at “great financial risk.”

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