Rally for More Democratic and Local Control of the Sewerage and Water Board – Many Issues
Saturday Jan 25th
11am
City Hall
1300 Perdido
Citing issues including a recently filed lawsuit against SWB, necessary to obtain a list of where solid lead water pipes are placed in Orleans Parish, A Community Voice (ACV) members kick off a campaign to gain local control over SWBNO. Meeting at City Hall, 11:00 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, where the group demands the SWBNO be headquartered, they will proceed to the Hyatt Hotel, recipient of discounted water rates, to demand that they pay their fair share and use certified water filters in their kitchen and food preparation facilities.
Issues are extensive and diverse that they include but are not limited to:
- Failure to properly analyze or eliminate local flooding due to drainage issues.
- Refusal to turn over lists of addresses with sold lead water lines, despite FOIA and lawsuit. The hearing is set for Feb. 5th in Judge Hazeur’s courtroom.
- A rate structure that benefits large commercial/industrial users, but forces residential and small businesses to pay a higher rate and more of their share of repairs, because large users place a greater demand on the systems. Large commercial users also benefit from a tax structure that allows all businesses to be deducted from their tax payments, unlike residents. A lower rate structure for seniors, disabled and poor residents should be implemented immediately.
- Misuse of public funds, including over $40 million in legal fees to fight Broadmoor residents’ claims against the project that broke their foundations with pile driving, and SWB had a $37 million liability insurance policy to pay them, lost the suit and then filed an appeal.
- Unfair process for appeal of water bill issues, that also creates a harmful environment for those who can’t pay the thousands that they are billed.
- Failure to address Lead in the drinking water as a serious issue. Over 90% of homes tested by LSU had high lead levels in their water. ACV believes that nearly every residence built before the 1980s, and some after that, have solid lead whip lines from the meter to the owner’s line. SWB has not given out this list after nearly a year of requests by ACV for the list.
ACV plans to kick off the campaign to restore control over SWB at a press event this Saturday, January 25, 11:00 a.m. at City Hall at 1300 Perdido and a march to the Hyatt Hotel to demand that they pay their fair share of the water costs. All religious and other leaders and groups, along with small businesses are encouraged to join the campaign, and all elected officials are asked to support and work for the return of SWB to local control. For more information acommunityvoice.org and 800-239-7379 info@acommunityvoice.org
Twitter @ACommunityVoice FB: A Community Voice Louisiana
