RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 227 (SB 390) 2020 Regular Session Peterson
Prior law provided for the Sewerage and Water board of New Orleans "board" to be
composed as follows:
(1)The mayor.
(2)The chair of the Public Works, Sanitation and Environment Committee of the New
Orleans City Council, a member of the committee appointed by the chair, or a civil
engineer appointed by the chair. Any member appointed by the chair shall serve at
the pleasure of the chair.
(3)Two syndicate members of the board of liquidation, city debt, to be appointed by the
mayor on the recommendation of the board of liquidation, city debt.
(4)Seven citizens, to be appointed by the mayor, with the advice and consent of the city
council from a list of nominees submitted by the Sewerage and Water Board
Selection Committee.
Prior law provided that the members appointed pursuant to (3) and (4) above shall include
one citizen from each of the five council manic districts within the city of New Orleans. In
addition, two of the appointments shall be consumer advocates with community advocacy
or consumer protection experience or experience in a related field, and one of the
appointments shall be a retired civil engineer.
New law retains prior law but eliminates the mandate that one of the appointments to the
board must be a retired civil engineer.
Prior law required the advertisement and letting of a contract when the board purchases
materials or supplies exceeding $30,000 for the conduct, operation, maintenance, and repair
of its systems.
New law retains prior law and provides that purchases of $10,000 or more but not more than
$30,000, must be made by obtaining at least three quotes by telephone, facsimile, email, or
any other printable electronic form. New law further provides for a written confirmation of
the accepted offer must be obtained and made a part of the purchase file.
Prior law provided for the board to do construction work on its public systems with its own
forces when the amount of work involved in the project does not exceed a total value of
$150,000.
New law retains prior law but changes the contract limit at which projects must go to bid to
the same limit as state projects which is tied to the Consumer Price Index. Current contract
limit requiring public bid is $161,550.
New law authorizes the board to contract with the lowest bidder after advertising for all
public works contracts exceeding the legal limit.
Prior law provided for the board to install and pay the cost to connect one sewer connection
and one water connection extending from the respective main to the property line and from
that point on, each must be made at the cost and expense of the owner of the property for a
lot of record which existed prior to 1954.
Prior law required the property owner for all lots created after 1954, to bear all costs for
connections extended from the sewer and water main to the property line, and any additional
costs from the property line to on-site facilities must be installed and maintained at the cost
of the property owner.
New law provides that each property owner may contract with a licensed plumber in the state
of Louisiana for the installation of connections and any subsequent work, however all such
work shall be subject to the regulation, inspection, and control of the board. New law further
provides that if the work is performed by the board and a disruption of the water or sewer connection from the main to the property line is caused, the board will bear the cost of
repairing the disrupted connection.
Effective upon signature of the governor (June 11, 2020).
(Amends R.S. 33:4071(A)(1)(e), 4084(A)(1)(b) and (2) and (E), 4085(A) and (B), and 4090;
adds R.S. 33:4084(A)(1)(c))