Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) clarified to its board members and the public what it hopes to collect in unpaid bills for water and sewer service.
A three-week internal inquiry showed that customers owe approximately $73.4 million in past due charges as of Dec. 31, 2018. Approximately $50 million of that is considered delinquent, or due for longer than 60 days.
This figure has grown since 2016 as SWBNO endured more than two years of hardship and emergencies. A new billing system, inaccurate bills, a moratorium on shutoffs and emergency spending in the wake of the August 2017 flood event all contributed to a less than stable budget.