Shreveport Department of Water and Sewerage addresses sewer calculation concerns

The City of Shreveport's Department of Water and Sewerage is addressing concerns that citizens may have regarding sewer calculations.

The Department of Water and Sewage issued a news release March 11 that stated, "Several months ago, Mayor Tom Arceneaux directed the City's Department of Water and Sewerage to review the accuracy of sewer bills received by residential customers. As a result, the DOWAS has determined that some residential customers will receive a credit on their March bills."

The Average Water Consumption quantity serves as the basis for calculating residential sewer fees, according to the release.

If a customer's monthly water is lower than their Average Water Consumption, they will be charged the lower amount.

When the City lacks meter readings for all four months, it leads to issues. To address this, according to a 2019 ordinance, an initial AWC is fixed at 6,000 gallons a month for any unread periods.

The release stated that during the winter of 2022-23, many customers' bills were estimated due to inclement weather. To prevent increased charges, the department decided to utilize data from the previous winter − 2021-22 −rather than the 6,000 gallon estimate.

The decision had no effect on more than half of customers and actually benefitted about 30 percent, according to the release. However, it did increase bills for 10,678 residential customers (about 16 percent) before the department went back to the 2022-23 formula last fall. Most of these increases total $50 or less.

Affected customers will obtain a credit on their March bills. However, those who experienced a decrease in their bills due to the change will not receive an additional refund.

Arceneaux asked the department to propose ordinance changes to keep this from occurring in the future, according to the release. The shift to fully automated meter reading, which will begin in the next year, will eliminate this issue entirely by eliminating the need for estimated meter reads.

"It's imperative for us to uphold transparency and fairness in billing processes," William Daniel, Director of Water and Sewerage, said. "We're committed to rectifying discrepancies and ensuring equitable treatment for all residents."

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This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport Water and Sewerage addresses sewer calculation concerns