BR Sewer Fees Increase Again
by SCOTT DYER - Advocate (excerpt)

If this is January, the cost of flushing toilets in East Baton Rouge Parish must be about to rise. An average homeowner can expect his or her bill to increase by $1.39 per month, starting with the January bill.

Mark LeBlanc, the sewer system finance director for the Department of Public Works, said the actual amount of the sewer-fee increase will depend on the amount of water used. For an average home that uses 8,600 gallons of water per month, the 4 percent boost will increase the monthly sewer bill from $34.70 to $36.09.

LeBlanc said the automatic increase is part of an ongoing effort to bring the aging sewer system up to federal standards by the end of 2014. In all, the sanitary system program upgrade is expected to cost $1.2 billion.