Grosse Pointe Shores Raises Water/Sewer Rates

residents will begin paying more for water and sewer services beginning July 1--similar to dozens of other suburbs on the Detroit Water System. 

The council unanimously approved rates to increase from $55.44 per unit to $62.16 per unit beginning July 1. Their rates will increase again Jan. 1 to $65.08 for the combined rate. 

Residents are billed quarterly for water and sewer services in the Shores. City manager Brian Vick said determining an estimate of how the increase would affect the average homeowner is not really possible. Water usage rates are not predictable, he said, because when it rains residents use less but if it's a hot dry summer, they typically use more. 

The increases were recommended to the Shores by an outside auditor through Plante Moran in August 2008 as a way to plan for the fiscal future and to support the aging water and sewer infrastructure, according to Vick's recommendation to council. 

Many suburbs on the Detroit system are increasing their rates after Detroit changed its fee schedule. Detroit changed its fee schedule to better meet the financial burden of operating the system--a fixed cost. Water consumption fluctuates, however, and when communities are consciously using less water the fee schedule in the past has not always been enough to cover the operation, according to many officials.

All of the changes have spurred some conversation in Grosse Pointe Park about looking into the  Grosse Pointe Woods council is for combined services.