GRETNA, La. (WVUE) – The Jefferson County Water Department expects to have a full staff of 16 call takers to assist residents by the end of 2024, according to Director Sidney Bazely.

Bazely said filling these positions has been challenging since the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to long wait times for callers throughout the spring and summer.

For months, church leaders and residents have been voicing frustrations about water billing issues and delays in department response.

At Wednesday’s council meeting (Nov. 6), Metairie resident Keith Juneau shared his experience with a recent $1,000 water bill; this bill showed usage of 83,000 gallons, much higher than the typical 3,000-gallon billing cycle.

“I didn’t do anything. I didn’t fix anything. I didn’t change anything,” Juneau said.

He said he called the water department multiple times throughout the summer to dispute the bill, but was often left on hold, disconnected or told to call back.

Bazely said the problem was eventually traced to a toilet part that Juneau purchased, presented a receipt and signed a statement before deducting the neighborhood bill.

“It was the only bill that seemed high during the period when he reported to us that he was doing repairs on his home,” Bazely said.

Congregational leaders recognized that billing issues were a growing concern among voters.

“The highlight of our day is people calling us about our water bill issues,” Councilman Scott Walker said.

Bazely says his team would be better suited to handle customer issues and billing disputes if there were more people on the payroll to take calls. But he says most of the time, high bills are due to leaks on the customer’s property, not problems with the meter.

“Our meters do not work unless water passes. “I can say with 100% certainty that the water passed through the meter and into the customer’s home,” Bazely said.

The water department is also in the process of installing communications technology to power new smart meters throughout the neighborhood.

The first meters will be installed in March, and the entire neighborhood is expected to have smart meters by 2028.

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