The city has of New Orleans has been in the news a lot especially to do with the issue of hiking the water bill. It doesn’t help that there was a vote that was made that approved the hiking of the water bill for residents each year until the year 2020. The average water bill in New Orleans depends on the size of the house and how many people you have living in it.

While some of the residents receive bills that are estimates rather than the actual meter reading from the Sewerage and Water Board, on average, a water bill in New Orleans may cost between $75 to $110. Remember, this varies from one household to the other as mentioned depending on the water usage month on month, size of the house as well as the number of occupants.

For every New Orleans resident, the first digits of the given account number represent the location number which is distinctive to each service address. The second batch of six numbers is what is used to identify the customer. Regardless of where you receive your bill – that is if you have multiple addresses – you should ensure that the six-digit number is the same on each and every bill.

On the bill, there is a reading column that shows the numbers that the Sewerage and Water Board read on your water meter. The top line usually shows the reading that the bill sent is based on while the bottom line shows the previous bill reading. In any typical scenario, the number showing on the top line should be greater than the one at the bottom month on month unless of course your water meter was replaced temporarily.

Actual Water Meter Reading or Estimate?

The water bill also has a section known as “Read Type” which lets you know whether the Sewerage and Water Body actually sent one of their employee’s to read the meter in person or if the board just made an estimate based on water use history of the customer. One of the reasons the Sewerage and Water Board says they use estimates is due to staffing issues that have changed the ability of the water board to read each and every meter month on month.

Given their high employee turnover, they have been forced to rely more and more on estimated water meter readings. The usage section on the bill shows the number of water gallons that went through your meter since the meter was last read. To get the exact figure, you will need to multiply the number by 1,000.

There is also a water usage graph that makes it easy for you to compare your previous reading to the current reading. The usage graph can typically indicate the seasons when your usage decreases or increases. For instance, it’s common to see a usage pattern that shows an increase in water usage in summer and a decrease in water usage in winter.

Also important to note is that there is a 10 percent late fee that you get charged should you fail to pay your water and sewer bills and another 15 percent for unpaid sanitation after the due date indicated on the bill.

This article brought to you by New Orleans Plumber Pros.