Who We Are
Our dedicated team serves the people of New Orleans by providing essential water services. Day in and day out, we reliably supply safe drinking water and treat wastewater, safely returning it to the environment. We also drain stormwater to protect our community.
Our Vision
To be a model utility that earns and holds the trust and confidence of our customers, community, and partners through reliable and sustainable water services.
Our Values
Customer-Focused
Transparent and Honest
Accountable
Safety-Minded
SWBNO 2022 – 2027 Strategic Plan
In 2022, the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) adopted a five-year Strategic Plan. Based on input from employees and partners, the Strategic Plan defines our utility's path forward. You can consider it our promise to you and something you can hold us to.
View Our Strategic PlanDid You Know?
“One Water” is a philosophy that recognizes drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater in the environment are all connected — and they should be managed that way rather than in silos.
Most utilities offer one or two water services. But, the Sewerage and Water Board is a true One Water utility, providing all of the following services:
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Drinking Water
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Wastewater
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Stormwater and Drainage
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Power
It’s no surprise that we provide water, sewage, and drainage. However, some people don’t realize we also operate an in-house power system to run many of our drinking water and drainage pumps.
Understanding Your Bill
We recognize that billing has been one of our utility's biggest challenges. Before we dive into the changes we've made to improve your experience, here is a quick overview of how your SWBNO bill is created.
Variable Charges
The “Monthly Use” portion of your bill is determined by how much water you use and how much sewage you create, plus City sales tax. This amount varies every month based on your water use.
Monthly Use Based on Your Water Use
$ Amount Varies Each Month
Learn More About Your Bill
Visit the Rates, Fees & Charges page on our website to learn more about your bill.
View the WebsiteFixed Charges
All bills include “Ready to Serve” Essential charges in addition to the “Monthly Use” charges.
- This helps cover water quality testing and infrastructure investments for our water and wastewater systems (the drainage system is not included on customer bills).
- We also collect trash and recycling payments on behalf of the City Sanitation Department. However, we do not provide those services.
These “Ready to Serve” Essentials equal the minimum bill for all customers before a drop of water is used.
- This can vary depending on your meter size. You can visit the Rates, Fees & Charges page on our website to learn more.
“Ready to Serve” Essentials Minimum Bill for All Customers
Amount on Bill for Average Residential Customer: $58.56
State Department of Health Water Quality Testing “Safe Drinking Water” on Your Bill
$1.00
Trash & Recycling Pickup “Residential Sanitation Charges” on Your Bill
Payment Collected on behalf of City Sanitation
$24.00
Sewer Infrastructure “Ready to Serve – Sewer” on Your Bill
$24.87
Drinking Water Infrastructure “Ready to Serve – Water for 5/8 Meter” on Your Bill
$8.69
What’s Not Covered in Your Monthly Bill
Drainage is funded exclusively through three separate millages, which are part of property taxes.
- 11% of total property tax bill; $1,769 for a typical non-exempt property; roughly 40% of customers are tax exempt and do not pay into the drainage system.
- Some millages are set to expire in the near future. SWBNO's drainage system requires extensive investment.
- In addition, we recently took on the responsibility of New Orleans' 72,000 catch basins and over 1,500 miles of smaller drainage lines with no clear funding path.
Improvements | Smart Meters
The Smart Metering Program is revolutionizing how SWBNO operates.
Smart Metering Program
Smart meters are a modern, industry-proven technology that digitally collects water use readings and sends them to SWBNO to generate bills. Here are some of the benefits of replacing all 140,000 meters across the city with smart meters.
- Automatic meter reads--creating less obstacles to SWBNO getting your meter read each month.
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More precise water use reads.
- Older meters tend to lose accuracy over time.
- Smart meter accuracy is guaranteed for the life of the meter.
- Allow SWBNO to proactively alert customers of leaks, saving nearly $100 per residential bill on average.
- 70,000+ smart meters already installed as of the end of 2024.
- All residential meters to be installed by end of 2025.
Learn More About Smart Meters
View the Website
Improvements | Online Account
SWBNO upgraded ALL online customer accounts, and you don’t need a smart meter to register! Once you do have a smart meter, your new online account will give you more control over your water use and, ultimately, your bill.
Sign Up Today!
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Grab your most recent bill and visit
myaccount.swbno.org.
Have the following information ready:- account number
- last name (as seen on your bill)
- service address
- preferred email
- Link multiple accounts to one profile for easier management
Already have an online account with us? You'll need to activate your new account. To protect your data, we did not carry over your payment information. You’ll need to add your payment methods and set your preferences (such as AutoPay and paperless bill).
I’m ready to Sign Up!Benefits of Signing Up
Easily Pay Bill Online
Access Meter Read and Bill History
Link Multiple Accounts to One Profile
Additional Benefits with a Smart Meter
Access to Hourly Water Use Data Anywhere, Anytime
More Customized Alert Options
Early Leak Detection
Better Understand Water Use Habits
