Press Releases

NEW ORLEANS, LA — With over 4,000 new smart water meters installed citywide as of March 2024, the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) is on target to replace nearly 75,000—roughly half—of its meters with smart meters by the end of this year. The utility launched a video to prepare customers for what they can expect during their installation: SWBNO Smart Meter Program: What Customers Should Expect.

“We are extremely proud of the progress we’ve made on our Smart Metering Program so far,” said SWBNO Executive Director Ghassan Korban. “The new smart meters are revolutionizing our customer experience by modernizing our meter reading infrastructure and improving our billing practices.”

Before replacing a customers’ meter, SWBNO will send mailed notifications to the account holder and the service address. During installation, the utility’s contracted meter installer will arrive in a company-marked vehicle. They will wear an easily identifiable uniform, a yellow safety vest, and an individual identification badge.

For Residential Customers:

Almost all water meters are located outside, so customers do NOT need to be home during installation.

Water service will be interrupted for about 15 to 30 minutes.

If water use is observed at the time of installation, our contracted smart meter installer will not turn off the water. Instead, they will attempt to install the meter at another time.

For Commercial Customers:

SWBNO’s contracted smart meter installer will contact the customer upon arrival to their business to coordinate the installation.

Water service will be interrupted, but the utility aims to minimize business interruptions by scheduling the installation.

After installation, customers will receive a door hanger with important information about their new smart meter.

Smart meters are more precise compared to SWBNO’s older analog meters, which are well beyond their expected useful life. The age of the utility’s older meters causes them to lose accuracy over time, resulting in under-recorded water use or undetected leaks. SWBNO’s new smart meters will accurately detect the water that moves through customers' pipes, including “low-flow” events such as a trickle of water.

In particular, smart meters will allow the utility to alert customers of a constant flow of water, or continuous use, which can be indicative of a leak or unintended water use. Historically, continuous use could go undetected for weeks or months due to SWBNO’s inability to capture manual reads every month. The near real-time water use data from smart meters will allow SWBNO to identify potential issues, such as leaks, and proactively inform customers before they become a more significant issue. The early notification allows those customers time to address potential causes before they receive an unexpectedly high bill or experience property damage.

"With access to this new, near real-time water use data, we can finally provide the proactive customer service our community deserves,” said Korban. “And once the enhanced customer portal is available later this year, customers will be even more empowered to manage their water use and control their water bill using this data."

The customer portal coming soon will offer customers 24/7 access to their account information. With a better understanding of their water use, customers can begin conservation practices to lower their water use and potentially their bill. Conservation tips are available on SWBNO’s website at swbno.org/Article/Details/save-water-lower-your-bill.

For more information about the Smart Metering Program, customers can visit swbno.org/projects/smartmetering or contact smartmetering@swbno.org or call 52-WATER.