Jefferson Parish residents demand action on high water bills
Jefferson Parish water bill complaints boil over as residents say new meters are driving up their bills
Residents in Jefferson Parish voiced their frustrations over rising water bills during a council meeting Wednesday.
Residents blamed the issue on the installation of new water meters.
“With what’s going on in the economy right now, people can’t afford to buy groceries, much less pay high water bills. Water bills are higher than light bills. I don’t want to hear we’ve got leaks, there’s nowhere on earth that 20,000 people have leaks,” one resident said during public comment. “This is incompetence, this is malfeasance, this is criminal, that’s all I’ve got to say on this matter.”
Council members acknowledged that some residents are experiencing problems and stated they are working on a solution or compromise. However, no action was taken during the meeting.
Items related to water and sewerage fee rates were deferred to the September 30 council meeting.