Up to 250 Bogalusa customers face water cut-off

Persons who are not current in their water bills with the City of Bogalusa will either need to become current or have their water cut off beginning Tuesday.

Last Tuesday night, City Administrator Jerry Bailey told members of the city council that water cut-offs would begin "this month."

On Wednesday, while working on a list of delinquent accounts about to be turned over for collection, he told wpnewsblog there "are between 200 and 250" customers that are going to be cut off.

Bailey said this step has never been taken during his tenure at city hall "unless someone had tapped into someone's else's water or was otherwise obtaining water illegally."

The city first threatened to cut water off back in March, when city Public Works Director James Hall estimated there were some 2,000 deliquent accounts. Because of ongoing concerns regarding the billing system pertaining to newly installed water meters, the city opted to forego the cut-offs.

But now, enough is enough.

With more than $300,000 in utility receivables, officials have decided to stop allowing people to put off payment of their bills.

Persons may pay their bill in person in the City Hall Annex or online at www.bogalusa.com. If a disconnect order is issued and worked, a reconnect fee will be assessed in addition to the past due amount before water will be turned on again. City officials have said it could take up to 48 hours to have water reconnected.