[StBernard] St. Bernard water rates being examined by Baton Rouge company

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard water rates being examined by Baton Rouge company

Print Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune By Benjamin
Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune 
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on May 01, 2014 at 12:45 PM, updated May 01, 2014 at 5:10 PM

Following St. Bernard Parish Council and parish administration discussions
about increasing parish water and sewer rates by 34 percent, the parish
government has contracted with UtiliWorks to assess the system and help
determine what, if any, rate increases are needed.

The possible rate increase has been pitched in part as an effort to help
improve infrastructure in a water system that has been scrutinized since a
brain-eating amoeba was found in the system last fall.

The parish government has agreed to a $7,500 contract with UtiliWorks,
officials said. The Baton Rouge company began examining the system this week
and is expected to make its assessment by the end of May, St. Bernard Parish
President Dave Peralta said on Thursday.

"They will look into the cost of maintaining our water and sewer system,
what the costs are for repairs to our infrastructure, and what the cost of
the same services are in the surrounding metro area," Peralta said. "They
will not only be looking at today's costs but also the costs to run and
maintain the system for the next 20 to 25 years."

Councilman Ray Lauga, who is the chairman of the council's Water and Sewer
Committee, has said the parish water and sewer department has been running
at nearly a $3 million annual deficit and that the parish has not had a rate
increase since 1997.

A 34 percent rate increase likely would amount to about $10 to $15 more on
the average residents' water bill, according to Lauga. For residents who use
about 10,000 gallons a month, the bill would increase from $34.27 to $46.70.

That increase would bring in about $1.6 million a year, which could in turn
help pay for a $21 to $27 million loan that the parish is attempting to get
for water line improvements, according to Lauga.

After introducing the proposed increase during the March 5 council meeting,
Lauga later asked the council to table it at the March 18 meeting pending a
third-party audit of the sewer and water system.