Shreveport Water Meter Upgrades Are Nearly Complete

Shreveport has a long history of billing problems in the Water and Sewer Department. But the city has been making changes to correct the problems and make sure the billing system is correct moving forward.

In a complete audit of the department, the administration responded to criticism by saying one of the solutions was to install Automated Meter Infrastructure (AMI):

Over the next two years, we will be replacing all our meters with AMI which record and send the meter usage to the department. This technology will allow us to immediately recognize unauthorized water consumption in real time.

Since this audit was released at the end of 2024, KEEL News asked city leaders several questions.

READ MORE: See accounts that owe the city more than $10,000.

How many water meters in Shreveport have been replaced?

Approximately 62,000 of 75,000.

What neighborhoods have been done?

"Installations were not formally categorized by neighborhood." But city officials say they will try to get a map to show where the installations have occurred.

What percentage of the city has yet to be done?

City officials say only 17% of the city is yet to be done. The work is expected to be complete by August of 2026.

READ MORE: Mayor backs off a plan to increase water and sewer bills.

The audit also shows that internal controls do need to be improved, ranging from billing to collections to customer service. The audit found billing errors and inconsistencies in documentation and classification, leading to inaccurate charges. Corrective actions have been put in place to address these deficiencies. This includes more training for staffers. But the city is also struggling to retain workers in the Water and Sewer Department and that continues to be a problem now.