Water bills spike in Jefferson Parish for some residents, council votes to investigate

ELMWOOD, La. (WVUE) — The Jefferson Parish Council voted to hire a firm to study what it charges for water after residents on both banks of the parish reported spikes in their bi-monthly utility bills.

The bills include water usage, sewer, garbage and other fees.

“Our residents are experiencing in hike of $75 or $100 more on their water bills,” April Williams of the Woodmere Neighborhood Association said.

One resident said their bill went from around $100 to more than $500.

“My water bill has gone up from $150 to $450 to $650,” another resident, Jackie Hughes, said. “I’ve had everything checked out, and nothing was leaking.”

Some people say the spike happened despite properties being vacant or while residents were on vacation.

“99,000 gallons of water use, along with a bill for $1,650. What makes it more interesting is during the billing period, I was in Europe the entire time,” Metairie resident Taylor Darden said.

Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said it is “horrifying” to hear stories of residents getting bills for $1,000, or to hear that their bills have doubled or tripled.

Jefferson Parish said it repairs 500 leaks on its side every week. Lee Sheng said aging infrastructure across the region means a leak is bound to happen at a home or business.

“We will never expect a homeowner or a business owner to pay for something that’s our fault,” Lee Sheng said. “Whether it’s a broken meter or some kind of reading. We need time to look into it. We will never expect anyone to do that.”

Lee Sheng said the parish is four years into a 20-year plan to replace aging water and sewer infrastructure. She said the parish raises customers’ rates every year, but that should only increase the average customer’s bill by less than $10 a month.

“Aging infrastructure is a major issue. I’m proud to say on the water and sewer front, Jefferson Parish got in front of it,” she said.

Between January and April this year, Lee Sheng said 47,000 calls came in, with only 1,500 for high consumption. Some council members believe the parish needs to better educate the public.

“The public right now doesn’t trust what we’re saying. It’s clear,” Jefferson Parish Council member Deano Bonano said.

The last rate study happened in 2019. Council member Jennifer Van Vrancken supports the parish hiring a firm to re-study the issue.

“I think we need to reassure them that what we’re charging is fair and that it will be money well spent,” she said.

Van Vrancken also wants the water department to operate face-to-face with customers and offer an adjudication process to dispute bills.

Smart meter rollout underway

Jefferson Parish has installed 50% of its smart meters. Once the parish reaches 100%, it plans to switch to monthly billing.

The parish encourages those with a smart meter to download the DropCountr app to track water usage and billing.

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