SWBNO Customer Appeals

Background 

Pursuant to Ordinance No. 29278 M.C.S., the Council of the City of New Orleans established the billing dispute and appeals procedure for the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO). Residents will now have a more direct process to appeal bills with possibly inaccurate meter readings. 

Please note: This form is to be completed only after a customer has received a judgment from a SWBNO hearing officer.  As a result, a customer should only submit this form at the end of the following process: 

1. Customer has disputed their bill(s) with SWBNO; 
2. Customer is not satisfied with the results after the investigation has concluded;
3. Customer requests an administrative hearing with SWBNO; 
4. Customer participates in an administrative hearing;
5. Customer receives an administrative hearing judgment from SWBNO; AND 
6. Customer is not satisfied with the decision of the administrative hearing officer.

About the City Council appeals process

1. The customer has 45 days from receipt of the hearing officer’s written decision to appeal the decision to the City Council. In the event the customer requests a rehearing pursuant to Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 49:959(A), the 45 day period to appeal the hearing officer’s decision to the Council shall toll until the rehearing process has concluded.
    
2. The City Council shall retain the services of a third party consultant to review SWBNO’s investigation records, the administrative hearings records, and the hearing officer’s written decisions on a quarterly basis. The consultant shall submit a recommendation on each customer appeal received during the calendar quarter, including directing SWBNO to adjust a billed amount and/or to reevaluate or replace the customer’s meter.  The consultant shall submit its recommendations to the Council no later than the last day of the subsequent quarter.
    
3. Within 90 days of receipt of the consultant’s recommendation, the Council may accept, modify, or reject the recommendation by motion. If the Council does not act within 90 days, the consultant’s recommendation shall be deemed accepted as the Council’s final decision. In accordance with Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 49:964(B), a decision by the Council shall be treated as final and the customer shall have 30 days from the transmission of the notice of the final decision to appeal that decision to district court.”

How to submit the form

• Online: Fill out the form below.
• Email: Download, fill out, and email this form along with the administrative hearing judgment (see example Administrative Hearing Judgment) and any supporting documentation to swbnoappeals@nola.gov.
• In-Person: Download, fill out, and bring this form along with the administrative hearing judgment (see example Administrative Hearing Judgment) and any supporting documentation to the Council Utilities Regulatory Office located at City Hall.
• Mail: Download, fill out, and mail this form along with the administrative hearing judgment (see example Administrative Hearing Judgment) and any supporting documentation to:
                  Council Utilities Regulatory Office  
                  ATTN: SWBNO Appeals 
                  1300 Perdido Street, Room 6E07  
                  New Orleans, LA 70112 

If you have any further questions or comments, please contact the Council Utilities Regulatory Office at 504-658-1110.