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W & S Customer Services

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1. Who may I contact to get assistance with paying my water bill?

Caddo Community Action Agency - (318) 861-4808
Socialization Services - (318) 671-5800

2. How many meters are read each month by the Department of Water and Sewerage?

Approximately 81,000. The meters are read manually by a Meter Reader.

3. How many water accounts does the Department of Water and Sewerage service?

Approximately 65,000. The amount varies each month depending on how many accounts are set up,

4. When will my meter be read?

The Department of Water & Sewerage has divided Shreveport into 19 geographical areas - - one for each working day of the month. Where you live determines the day your meter is read, the date your bill is mailed and the date your payment is due.

5. How is my monthly water bill calculated?

The monthly water service includes a customer charge and a usage charge. The customer charge will always appear on your water bill regardless of how much or how little water you use. It is the service charge that helps recover the cost of meter reading and maintaining the water distribution and wastewater collection systems. The water usage charge is for the amount of water you use during the month.

The wastewater usage charge for residential customers is based on an average of the amount of water you used during the previous winter months (AWC) or your current month's use, whichever is less.

The wastewater usage charge for non-residential customers is based on your current month's use.

6. What is wastewater?

Wastewater is the used water that goes down the drain in homes and businesses. The wastewater is collected in the City's wastewater collection system and treated at the Lucas or the North Regional Wastewater Plants.

7. What is Average Winter Consumption (AWC) and how is it calulated?

"Average Winter Months Consumption" is calculated before the first billing cycle in May. An Account must have actual consumption for the months of November, December, January, and February. Of these four months, the month with the highest consumption and the month with the lowest consumption are rejected. The consumption for the remaining two months is then averaged to arrive at the "Average Winter Months Consumption".

Example of Calculation:
Billing Month Service Dates Water Consumption
November 2014 10/29/2014 - 11/29/2014 12,000 gallons
December 2014 11/29/2014 - 12/29/2014 18,000 gallons
January 2015 12/29/2014 - 01/31/2015 11,000 gallons
February 2015 1/31/2015 - 2/28/2015 14,000 gallons

In the example above, December is the month with the highest water consumption and January is the month with the lowest usage - these months are not used in the calculations.
12,000 (November consumption) + 14,000 (February consumption) = 26,000
26,000 / 2 = 13,000 gallons "Average Winter Months Consumption"

If an account does not have history to calculate, the AWC set by the city is 6,000 gallons.

8. How is my meter read?

To ensure that our customers are charged fairly, the Department of Water & Sewerage uses meters to measure water consumption. We routinely replace meters to ensure their accuracy. Your meter is read monthly by a trained meter reader who uses a handheld computer. The computer will reject any unusual reading that is out of normal usage pattern. This feature ensures that meters are read accurately. After the information on the handheld is entered into the mainframe computer, the meter reading is checked against narrower standards of your historical use (this is called pre-bill audit). If the reading appears too high or too low, another meter reading will be taken before the bill is prepared. Even though we strive for perfection, on occasions a meter will be misread. If you ever have a question about your meter reading or your water bill, please call us at 318-673-5510. We will be happy to check it out for you.

9. How do I read my water meter?

First, you need to find your water meter. Generally, your water meter is located in the front of your property between the edge of the road pavement and your property line. It is housed in an in-ground meter box, which helps protect it form the elements. Carefully remove the lid by using a screwdriver or pliers. Visually examine the area around the meter to make sure there are no harmful insects or other animals. If you have problem locating your meter, please call the Call Center at 318-673-5510 for assistance.

Second, your water meter has a set of dials, similar to the odometer of a car, that rotate as water passes through the meter, whether used or lost. With your back to the house, simply read the numbers the numbers from left to right to get a reading. Compare this reading to the "current" reading on the statement.

If your reading is not correct (high or low) on your current statement please call the Department of Water and Sewerage at 318-673-5510 as soon as possible to have your meter reread.

10. Can I have my meter re-read and is there a charge?

Yes, you can have your service meter re-read if you believe that an error in reading has occurred. There is no charge to re-read your meter if the original reading is found out to be incorrect. If the original reading is found to be correct, there will be a $20.00 charge for the re-read.

11. How can I check to see if I have a private leak?

There are 2 Methods in which you may check to see if you have a private leak.

METHOD 1
Turn off all water taps inside and outside your home. Record the meter reading and return two to three hours to check for movement. If the reading has changed or the dial needle has moved, you may have a private leak.

METHOD 2
Many meters have a small red (or blue) trangle on the meter face, designed to detect even small leaks. If the red triangle is moving when you have all the water off inside and outside your home, you may have a private leak.

Common sources of leaks: toilet that is running; a constant drip in a sink or outdoor faucet; a loose or dripping washer connection; a home water treatment unit; an evaporative cooling unit; or a sprinkler system.

12. How do I check my toilet for leaks?

The Department of Water and Sewerage reminds its customers that toilet leaks waste hundreds of gallons of water each day.

The good news is that toilet leaks are easy to diagnose and fix. Simply put a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait 10 to 15 minutes. If the water in the bowl is colored, you have a leak. Most toilet leaks are the result of deteriorated flappers and outflow tubes that are simple and inexpensive to repair.

Also, remember unnecessary flushes can waste up to five gallons of water per flush. Don't use your toilet for a trash can.

13. What are some commons sources of water leaks?

Common sources of leaks are toilet that is running, a constant drip in a sink or outdoor faucet, a loose or dripping washer connection, a home water treatment unit, an evaporative cooling unit, or a sprinkler system.

14. How can I manually monitor my water use?

Reading your water meter/s regularly helps to identify any changes in your water use over time and can act as a trigger for maintenance. By taking meter readings on a regular basis, you can identify problems in water use without having to call a plumber.

1. The best way to find out what the highest water-using device/activity is at your house is to perform a water use audit.
2. You can use a paper log of your meter readings to assist you with monitoring your water use. To help you understand your average daily water use, start off by taking meter readings at the same time each day over a period of one week. If you think your daily water use seems quite high, take more readings throughout the day and compare the differences.

Once you understand your normal water use patterns, change the reading frequency to every two weeks so you can keep a close eye on any intermittent problems which may occasionally pop up.

15. Why is drinking tap water better?

Tap water has it all over bottled water. First, it's significantly cheaper, pennies per gallon as opposed to more than a $1.00 per bottle. Second, tap water undergoes more -- and more extension -- testing. Tap water is disinfected, filtered to remove pathogens and tested for E. coli, fecal coliform, bacteria, cryptosporidium, giardia, viruses most synthetic organic chemicals. There is no requirement that bottled water be disinfected or filtered or that it be tested for those elements. Third, less than 30 percent of water bottles are recycled. The rest end up on roadsides, in landfills, and in our lakes and river. It make sense for financial, health and environment reasons to kick the bottle.

16. Tips for saving water in the bathroom.

The bathroom is where you can make the most substantial reduction in personal water use. More than 50% of the water used in an average home is used in the bathroom. (http://www.epa.gov/watersense/waterefficiency/whatyoucando.html)

1. Stop using the toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket. Everytime you flush a cigarette butt, facial tissue, or other small bits of trash, you waste 5 to 7 gallons of water.
2. Take shorter showers. Long, hot showers can waste 5 to 10 gallons every unneeded minute. Limit your showers to the time it takes to soap up, wash down, and rinse off.
3. Reduce flushing water. Put an inch or two of sand or pebbles inside each of two plastic bottles to weigh them down. Fill them with water and put them in your toilet tank, safely away from operating mechanisms to reduce the fill amount.
4. Install water-saving showerheads or flow restrictors. Your local hardware or plumbing supply store stocks inexpensive water-saving showerheads or restrictors that are easy to install.
5. Take baths. A partially filled tub uses far less water than a long shower, but a short shower uses less than a full tub.
6. When shaving and brushing your teeth, don't leave the water running. Run as much as you need, then turn off the tap until you need more.

17. Tips for saving water in the kitchen.

You can conserve water in your kitchen without sacrificing taste and cleanliness.(http://www.epa.gov/watersense/waterefficiency/whatyoucando.html)

1. Automatic dishwasher claim the most water in kitchens - about 12 gallons per run. Make sure the washer is fully loaded before you turn it on.
2. Don't rinse the dishes in the sink before you put time in the dishwasher. Scrape them clean and let the machine do the rest.
3. If you wash dishes by hand, don't leave the water running for rinsing.
4. Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegetables; Just rinse them in a stopped sink or a pan of clean water.
5. Keep a bottle or pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator. Running tap water to cool it off for drinking water is wasteful.

18. Tips for saving water while doing the laundry.

Many washing machines use 40 or more gallons of water per load, whether the washer is stuffed full or loaded with only a couple of socks. (http://www.epa.gov/watersense/waterefficiency/whatyoucando.html)

1. Save up for a full load and make your water work efficiently.
2. Set your machine for a lesser load, if it can be adjusted.
3. For hand laundering, put a stopper in the washtup for both wash and rinse. Don't let the faucet run.

19. Tips for saving water outdoors.

1. Water before 5:30 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. and avoid watering on windy days. If you sprinkle your lawn under the hot midday sun, you will lose as much as 30% of your water to evaporation.
2. Avoid sprinklers that spray a fine mist, which increases evaporation. Lawns can only absorb water so fast. It's better to water your lawn for three, 10-minute sessions (with each session 30 minutes apart) than it is to water steadly for 30 minutes and cause runoff.
4. Water your lawn only when the grass does not spring back up when you step on it. Keep grass at least two inches high to shade roots and hold moisture. (ttp://www.arhomeandgarden.org/lawns.htm)
5. Plant drought-resistant trees and plants. Water trees slowly, deeply, and infrequently to encourage deep rooting. (http:///www.arhomeandgarden.org/landscaping.htm)
6. Aerate lawns regularly and put a layer of mulch around trees and plants to reduce evaporation and discourage weed growth. Weeds are water thieves, so keep the garden free of them.
7. Keep track of how long you water. A kitchen timer is a handy reminder for turning off sprinklers.
8. Make sure sprinklers cover just the lawn or garden, not sidewalks, driveways, and gutters.
9. Use a spray nozzle with a cutoff handle on your hose so water doesn't flow continuously. Your garden hose can pour out 600 gallons or more in only a few hours. Thousands of gallons can be lost in a very short time.
10. Check your hose connections often for leaks. Leaks outside the house may not seem as bad because they are not as visible. But, they can be just as wasteful as leaks inside.
11. Don't run the hose while washing your car. Clean the car with a pail of soapy water. Use the hose just for rinsing.
12. Use a broom or leaf blower, not a water hose, to clean driveways, sidewalks and patios.

20. How can I prevent my pipes from freezing?

•Disconnect all gardening hoses and install covers on all outside faucets.
•Keep your house temperature at 68 degrees or higher, even if you're leaving the house for an extended period of time.
•Open cabinet doors below sinks to allow heat from the home to circulate.
•Identify the location of the main water valve and the valve on your water heater. (Learning the location of these valves may come in handy during an emergency.)
•Wrap pipes nearest exterior walls and in crawl spaces with pipe insulation or with heating tape. This can prevent freezing, especially for interior pipes that run along outside walls.
•Close all windows near water pipes; cover or close open-air vents. Freezing temperatures combined with wind drafts can cause pipes to freeze more frequently.
•Heat your basement and consider weather sealing your windows.
•Insulate outside walls and unheated areas of your home.
•If you plan to be away from home for an extended period of time, shut off water supply valves to your washing machine.

21. How do I monitor freezing pipe conditions?

•Allow a faucet to drip slightly (lukewarm water) in order to minimize freezing.
•The first sign of freezing is reduced water flow from a faucet.
•Check your faucets for water flow and pressure before you go to sleep and again when you wake up.
•Check pipes around your water meter, in unheated areas, near exterior walls and in crawl spaces.
•These tend to be vulnerable to freezing conditions.
•Identify cold air drafts coming in from a flue or chimney chase and caulk gaps that are near pipes.

22. What can I do if my pipe freezes?

•If a faucet or pipe inside your house freezes, you can thaw it using a good hair dryer. (For safety purposes, avoid operating a hair dryer around standing water.)
•To thaw a frozen pipe, heat water on the stove, soak towels in the hot water and wrap them around cold sections of the pipes.
•When thawing a pipe, start thawing it nearest to the faucet. Make sure the faucet is turned on so that melted water can drip out.

23. What do I do if a pipe bursts?

•Shut off water at the main valve. Call the Department of Water and Sewerage emergency line at 673-7600.
•If the break is in a hot water pipe, the valve on top of the water heater should be closed.
•Call a plumber. Keep an emergency number nearby for quick access.

24. My Blue Recycling Can has not been picked up. Who do I contact?

Recycling Customer Service - 1-888-347-7288
or
Public Works/Solid Waste - 318-673-6300

25. My Green City Garbage Can has not been picked up. Who do I contact?

Public Works/Solid Waste - 318-673-6300