Vermilion Parish jail charged for 1 million gallons of water usage in a month; no leak found

You thought your water bill was high last month. The Vermilion Parish Police Jury received an exceptionally high water bill of $5,500 for one million gallons of water used in a month.
The month before the $5,500 bill, the bill was $2,500 for 500,000 gallons. The month before that, the bill was cheaper because the amount of water used was around 350,000 gallons.
The normal jail water bill is $1,000 a month.
Due to the spike of water, the police jury hired American Leak Detectors to search out a leak. Thus far, after checking the cement slab for broken pipes with ultra sound testing and walking the grounds for standing water, American Leak Detector has found no leaks.
Gene Sellers Jr., an architect, was called on by the Police Jury to try and figure out the water problem.
“You would think a million gallons of water could be found,” said Sellers.
As of yesterday, Sellers told the police jury that the parish jail is now using 100,000 gallons of water a day based on the water meter spinning.
After spending money to find the leak and no leak was detected, police juror Errol Domingues asked, “Did they check the [water] meter?”
Sellers informed the jurors that the water meter was changed in October of 2016 and the first increase in the water bill was the next month.
Since the new meter, the amount of water used has increased significantly, according to the meter.
After the meter was installed, it showed an increase of 250,000 gallons more than the previous month.
Roberta Boudreaux, who works in the jail and is employed by the police jury, told the jurors that she has contacted Tony Richard, who is in charge of the Southeast Water District in the parish about the leak and water meter.
Boudreaux said Richard did not seem too interested in going to the jail and checking out the newly installed water meter.
Roberta said, “He (Richard) said he is 99 percent certain that it is not the meter. I said what about the one percent? He is not interested in changing the meter.”
She told the jurors that Richard hung up on her.
The Abbeville Meridional attempted to contact Richard about the meter by stopping by the water plant and leaving a message. He did not return the call.
Police Jury Administrator Linda Duhon has talked to Richard about replacing the new meter. Nothing.
The police jury will request a Southeast Water District board member to attend Monday’s meeting. They want to know what it is going to take to convince Richard to change the water meter at the parish jail.