New Orleans reaps revenue rewards from 138,000-point smart meter rollout

New Orleans reaps revenue rewards from 138,000-point smart meter rolloutFollowing the substantial completion of its smart metering program, the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans is deploying data analysts to capture lost revenue, identifying thousands of unbilled connections and driving consecutive months of above-average cash collections.

June water and sewer bill collections reached $22.5 million, marking the fourth consecutive month of above-average revenues.

A targeted survey of "vacant" accounts revealed that 38% of the investigated locations were actively using water.

The utility has reduced the number of unbilled smart meters registering water usage from 4,500 in February to under 1,000.

Dedicated data analysts are actively correcting legacy billing errors, such as misclassified irrigation and commercial accounts.

The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) is beginning to see significant financial and operational returns following the substantial completion of its 138,000-point smart meter installation late last summer. During a July 8, 2026, Joint Finance and Administration and Governance Committee meeting, Chief Financial Officer E. Grey Lewis reported that June cash collections for water and sewer bills reached $22.5 million. The figure marks the fourth consecutive month of positive collection trends exceeding historical averages, a direct result of the shift to actual consumption billing rather than estimated reads. Beyond accurate monthly billing, the utility is leveraging its new data capabilities to aggressively target unbilled consumption. With manual meter reading requirements vastly reduced, SWBNO has repurposed field staff to survey properties listed as "vacant" in the utility's system. Staff reported that 38% of the surveyed locations were actively using water. By contacting these unauthorized users to set up accounts or shutting off the connections, the utility has reduced the number of smart meters showing usage without an active account from approximately 4,500 in February to under 1,000. The deployment of dedicated data analysts is also allowing the utility to resolve long-standing legacy billing errors. Analysts are reviewing specific account classifications—such as multifamily complexes, schools, and fire accounts—to ensure they match actual use cases. This includes verifying that irrigation meters are not inappropriately assessed sewer charges. In one recent case, the utility issued a major credit to a commercial customer who had been billed for sewer charges for multiple years despite not being connected to the sewer system. Utility staff noted that the smart meter data is also transforming customer service. The portal, which now hosts over 100,000 accounts, allows the utility to send automated leak alerts and proactively reach out to customers experiencing unusual usage spikes. Staff emphasized that showing customers granular data—such as hourly usage spikes from running toilets or automated irrigation systems—has helped resolve billing disputes and is beginning to rebuild public trust. In broader financial updates, Lewis noted that the utility's fiscal 2025 audit was recently completed, yielding an unqualified report. The audit did flag one internal control finding related to formal documentation for a WIFIA loan draw covering a basket of 164 sewer rehabilitation projects. SWBNO expects to implement a corrective action plan to address the WIFIA documentation issue within 60 days. Meanwhile, the finance team continues to navigate a challenging stabilization phase following the first-time adoption of an Oracle ERP system four months ago, requiring extended support from the implementer to manage invoice processing and financial reporting workflows.