City puts teeth into talk about cutting off water

For years, other than for the occasional theft of service, the talk about cutting off someone's water in Bogalusa was just that ... all talk.

Until this past week.

After extending two drop-dead deadlines and after issuing a final set of pleas for delinquent customers to pay up, city crews hit the street on Tuesday and began disconnecting water.

By the end of business on Thursday, 288 customers had learned the hard way that the city finally meant what it said. Enough was finally enough. In addition to having to bring their bill current, customers who were disconnected must also pay a $25 reconnect fee.

With more than $150,000 in the 90-day delinquent account, there was little left for City Administrator Jerry Bailey to day — plus, he had the backing of the city council and his immediate boss, Mayor Charles Mizell.

Beginning last Monday, customers started beating a steady path to the city hall annex, sometimes being able to walk directly to the counter to pay up but more times than not, forced to wait in line as someone else tried to get caught up and avoid a dry tap.

And as word of the disconnects spread, more and more people came in to pay until more than $90,000 came into city coffers.

And while that's good news, there's still approximately $300,000 in water receivables that the city is trying to track down.

"People move from place to place and change the names on the accounts," Bailey said. "They may have it in one name at one place, then put it in another after they've run up a bill and moved.

Bailey said skips that can be located will be given the opportunity to pay their bill before the city begins legal action.

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.