Jefferson Parish utility bills are going up again in January. Here’s why. - NOLA.com

Jefferson Parish utility bills will go up in January | Jefferson Parish | nola.com

Jefferson Parish residents will see their utility bills go up again in January, part of a planned increase that isn't related to some recent complaints of higher water bills.

This will be the third year in a row the rates are being raised. The Parish Council in 2021 approved annual increases for the next 20 years to pay for upgrades to the sewerage and water systems, as well as a new garbage contract.

Residents who use the average amount of water per month — about 6,200 gallons of water, according to Jefferson Parish officials — would see their bill go up by about $13.40 to a total of $77.97, a combination of higher water, garbage and sewerage rates.

Residents who use 3,000 gallons per month would see an increase of about $7.78 to $46.77 per month.

And if Jefferson Parish Council members approve a recycling contract in December, fees would go up even higher, between $4.49 to $7.47, depending on which vendor is selected.

The fee increases, though expected, come as many Jefferson Parish residents have complained of abnormally high utility bills and reported usage in recent billing cycles.

Sonia Adams, who lives in Metairie and has owned property in Jefferson Parish since 1965, told parish council members last week that her bill went up to nearly $1,000 after her meter clocked 98,000 gallons. Her household usually uses 13,000 gallons per billing cycle, she said.

At the meeting, council member Jennifer Van Vrancken said she had gotten consistent complaints from residents experiencing high bills.

Parish officials have said the drought may have been causing people to use more water for plants and yards, and that any residents who suspect there are issues with their bill should contact the Water Department.

In Jefferson Parish, residents pay one utility bill every other month that includes water consumption and water service, garbage service, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals safe water fee, mosquito control, sewerage usage and recreation service.

What to expect

The new rates will pay for much-needed infrastructure upgrades, including $1.1 billion in water projects and $1.2 billion in sewage projects over the next 20 years.

The upgrades include replacing water lines, modernizing meters, better odor control systems and pipes in the sewerage system, and improving the east bank water plant, parts of which are nearly a century old.

Last year, the parish borrowed $192 million in bonds to get started on water system improvements, and about $100 million will go toward the sewer system.

A small portion of the annual rate increases are based on inflation and changes in the Consumer Price Index, a metric calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Water bills compared to other parishes

Even with the increase, Jefferson Parish residents will pay less than in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Residents in New Orleans paid an average of $59.62 for water in 2023 and Baton Rouge paid $29.75 for water in 2023. The increase will take Jefferson Parish’s total water fee to $23.68, for residents who use 6,200 gallons per month.

This screenshot of a presentation by Jefferson Parish shows the average water bills for Jefferson Parish, New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Jefferson Parish provides water to Kenner, Lafitte, Harahan, Grand Isle, Westwego, the Timberlane subdivision of Gretna and unincorporated Jefferson Parish. It provides sewerage services to Timberlane, Lafitte and unincorporated areas and collects trash in unincorporated areas and Lafitte.

A change to recycling

For the first time, Jefferson Parish this year negotiated separate contracts for trash and recycling. In February, council members selected River Birch Renewable Energy LLC to take over twice-weekly pickup for its 113,000 customers.

The council deferred the selection of a recycling vendor to the December meeting.

This screenshot of a presentation by Jefferson Parish shows the breakdown of what utility bill payments are used for.

At the November council meeting, Mark Drewes, director of public works, said that only 25-30% of the population participates in recycling, though everyone is charged the fee. Only about 1% of waste is recycled.

Jefferson Parish Council member Deano Bonano suggested that recycling contracts could include outside the box solutions such as opt-in recycling. Drewes said that both of the two companies that applied for the recycling contracts included traditional recycling plans.

“It's a difficult proposition for all of us in these difficult financial times, especially those on fixed incomes,” Bonano said of the decision to approve the additional fees that would accompany a recycling contract.

“The cost of food, gas and insurance is way up, we had to add to our bills to be able to keep our water and sewer infrastructure up to date so this is going be a difficult decision for all of us to make the next meeting.”

Have you been dealing with an abnormally high water bill in Jefferson Parish? We’d love to hear from you. Email Marie Fazio at mfazio@theadvocate.com.