This proposal/study by Flint (which | assume you guys are aware of) could impact DWS future deals. It could be a
disclosure issue on the deal coming up. Is this a real possibility ?
Brace for water rate boost
February 17, 2012 |
6 Comments
HOW YOUR WATER RATE COULD CHANGE fropesed water rae Proposed wates rate
Here are the percentage changes in water rates released Thursday by COMMADTY — peerage change COMMUNTIY — pementago-chnge
psp ly es fires tte Haze! Park 427% —-Rosovilo ar%
preliminary end stil] must be approved by the Deloit Board o} Water Huron Twp. re Oak Se
before taking effect July ¥. The Cetrolt figure bs the inkster aga Royal be
change in the retail rate. Suburban figures represent the change in the Southeastern Oakland
wholesale rate that 0 community pays Oetrolt. Suburban austomers poorer bel Co. Water Authorty* Be
ee ne ene ae Unga Ps 8S South Rockwood «7.4
Macemts
entet ate wenter te
cou "Woes — commoumy "pean Maditan Heights = 6.0 St ClairGreenwood 8.7
Melvindale 79 $t. Qair Shores a5
W3% Scorse 0.8% New Haven 0.7 Sterling
Average suburban Farmington a3 Northville 83 Sumpter Twp. 19
wholesale rato 79 Farmington Hills 79 Northville Twp. 82 Sylvan 16.8
Allen Park as Ferndale 52 Novi Taylor 89
Ash Township 85 Flat Rock 11 Cak Park 9.0 Trenton 10.3
Auburn Hills a3 Font 9.0 Oakland Co.Drain 7.0 Troy 83
Belleville 7.2 Frases 8S Osten Twp. 99 Utica a2
Berlin Twp. as Garden &2 Plymouth Rt Van Buren Twp. 28.4
Twn 880 Gibraltar 11.1 Plymouth Twp. 242 Walled Lake TW
ceive Semmes, 2 fale. as eltueton
Grosse lle Twp. wp. wp.
Chesterfield Twp. 9.0 Grosse Pte. Park 12 River Rouge 20 Wayne 94
Clinton Tp, 92 Grosse Pte. Shores 23.9 Riverview 16 West Bloomfield a4
Coramerce Twp. 38 Grosse Pte. Woods = 9.8 Rochester Hills at Westland 84
Dearbom 88 Hamtramck Cy Rockwood 83 ‘Wixom 79
Dearborn Heights = 8.7 Harper Woods 1.8 Romeo Bl Woodhaven 88
Eastpeinte 79 Harrison Twp. 13.0 Romulus x) Yeslant! Autherity 6.7
Mote: Percentages hive been rounded.
"The Southeastern Quidand County Water Anthorisy inctades member communities of Gertlny, Beverly fee, Samingham, Clanon, Hantingzon Woods,
Lahrop Vilage, Pasa ge, Ragal Gk Sut ficid eel Southfiod Vara ate be cate on enmearcties of Slooeice Mh ae loses Tost
SOVRKE Detret Water end Sewerage Department MARTHA THOLKAY/ADETROMT FREE PRESS
By Eric D. Lawrence
Detroit Free Press Staff Writer
Filed Under
Local News
Metro Detroit
Grosse Pointe
xxxEND_PAGE:treasury01_b03_0010_0378_039
SEWAGE DISPOSAL
SYSTEM RATE CHANGES
Proposed rate
COMMUNITY —_—percentage change
Detroit 9.9%
Average suburban
wholesale rate 6.7
Alten Park 12.2
Center Line 6.2
Dearborn East 46
Dearborn West 29
Dearborn E.* “1.2
Dearborn N.E.* 73
Evergreen-Farmington 6.6
Farmington 84
George W. Kuhn
Drainage Dist. 3.5
Grosse Pte. City* 29
Grosse Pte. Farms* 3.9
Grosse Pte, Park “1.8
Hamtramck* 5.5
Harper Woods* 9.7
Highland Park* 3.0
Oakland-Macomb
Interceptor Drain 10.9
Melvindale 8.38
N.E. Wayne County 4.9
Rouge Valley 6.5
Redford Township* 4.2
Wayne County #3* 4.9
Wayne County #6* 3.9
*Denotes system meters.
SOURCE: Detroit Water and
Sewerage Department
MARTHA THIERRY/DETROIT FREE PRESS
More
Harrison Township Supervisor Kenneth Verkest contemplated a proposed 13% water rate increase
for his Macomb County community from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department on Thursday.
“Thirteen percent seems kind of heavy,” he said.
Harrison Township, like dozens of other metro Detroit communities, is reviewing the rates the
department proposed for the 2012-13 fiscal year that begins in July. The department hosted a
meeting Thursday to discuss the changes.
Suburban wholesale rates would average a 7.9% hike and Detroit retail rates would increase by
10.3%. The Board of Water Commissioners is expected to decide on the rates in March.
xxxEND_PAGE:treasury01_b03_0010_0378_040
Within the averages is wide variation, with rate hike recommendations at 28.9% in Grosse Pointe
Shores and 28.4% in Van Buren Township to rate decreases of 12.7% in Hazel Park and 24.2% in
Plymouth Township.
Plymouth Township Supervisor Richard Reaume noted that the change followed a massive 40%
increase last year. In addition to negotiating with the department on system improvements, credit
should go to residents, he said.
"Residents took heed that they should use water in off-peak hours," Reaume said.
Because of the change, the township might be able to pass on a double-digit water rate decrease to
its customers, he said.
That potential decrease highlights the way in which the water rates translate into customer bills.
Although Detroit sets rates for communities based on their projected usage and investment costs, the
individual communities set the final total. Officials said that, in general, Detroit Water and Sewerage
rates represent about half the actual bill a residential customer receives, with individual communities
adding fees.
The overall increase in water rates is caused by factors such as increased operating costs and a
lower volume of water sales.
Sewer rates also are increasing for most areas, although two areas would see modest decreases.
The system as a whole would see an overall 8.5% increase, while City of Detroit retail customers
should see a 9.9% hike and suburban wholesale customer rates are expected to increase overall by
6.7%.
State Rep. Kurt Heise, R-Plymouth Township, said Detroit's system was built decades ago for a
population and an industrial base that no longer exist.
“It could have been worse, but it's going to be unacceptably high for many customers in the region,"
Heise said. "More needs to be done to control costs to create greater efficiencies, to reduce legacy
costs and possibly sell off the system."
Heise introduced a bill last year that would abolish the Board of Water Commissioners and have the
system run by a regional authority. That bill remains in committee.
Bart Foster, who works as a consultant to the department, said that suburban communities currently
help shape the way rates are determined.
"The folks in this room ... not only get it," Foster said of the people at Thursday's meeting, "they were
involved in developing the philosophy.”
xxxEND_PAGE:treasury01_b03_0010_0378_041
a
#
Goodrich, Harlan G. (Ti reasury)