The New Orleans Inspector General says the Sewerage & Water Board is losing around 70 percent of the water it purifies due to leaks along with metering and billing errors.
That costs SWBNO more than $19 million dollars in 2021 and 2022, the report states.
"Further, evaluators discovered that, while the SWBNO utilized intervention activities employed by some other water utilities, it did not adopt many of the best practices recommended by the American Water Works Association or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for water loss control programs," according to the OIG. "Moreover, the agency did not have a formal framework for water loss control through which it could evaluate the effectiveness of its water loss intervention activities."
Inspector General Ed Michel said SWBNO has a duty to do better.
"While the OIG is encouraged that the utility has taken steps towards improving its ability to measure leaks in the system, the lack of a comprehensive plan to evaluate and control water loss impacts the effectiveness of SWBNO operations," said Michel.
The Sewerage and Water Board says that entire 70 percent figure cited by the OIG does not paint a completely accurate picture.
"It’s important to note that 70%+ 'non revenue' water includes a very significant amount of water that is metered but 'free' for entities such as schools, city facilities, public buildings, jails, etc.," pointed out Grace Birch, Chief of Communications for SWBNO.
The Sewerage and Water Board also says that about 500 miles of its 1,700 miles of water mains are over a century old, and to replace just that portion would run into the billions of dollars.
