YCUA customers to see double-digit increases in water rates
Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority water customers will see larger water bills starting in September.
The increases are due to an 18.6 increase in the cost of the water from YCUA’s water supplier, the utility said today.
Ypsilanti Township residents will see their rates increase by 12 percent, YCUA said in a press release. That amounts to an increase of $1.19 per month for a minimum user and $2.44 per month for an average user.
YCUA has recommended a matching 12 percent increase in the water rate for Ypsilanti city customers to the City Council.
In addition, a recommendation to decrease the surcharge rate by 5 percent is before the City Council for consideration. In the city division, the surcharge is needed to pay debt payments on debt incurred to maintain the water and sewer infrastructure, YCUA said.
The net effect of the water rate increase and the surcharge decrease results in a 1.75 percent increase in a typical bimonthly water and sewer bill, or an increase of $0.57 per month for a minimum user and $1.08 per month for an average user.
The water rate increases passed on by YCUA also could impact customers in other communities that contract with YCUA for water and sewer services. Pittsfield, Superior and Augusta townships also get water from YCUA, but the utility has not announced how much of the 18.6 percent increase will be passed on to those communities.
Last year, YCUA increased its rates to those townships by 5.75 percent.
Comments
jns131
Fri, Jul 16, 2010 : 4:29 p.m.
Time to build a well out back. Not sure I like the idea of my water rates going up.
GoblueBeatOSU
Fri, Jul 16, 2010 : 6:19 a.m.
more proof we are getting riped off in our water rates. Someone is making a lot of money off of all of us. http://www.freep.com/article/20100716/NEWS05/7160379/1318/Suburbs-steaming-over-land-deal This is so deep in AA.com I doubt anyone will pick it up. But I still call for AA.com to dig into this issue. Our water rates are way out of line given all the water around us. Where is all the money going?
GoblueBeatOSU
Wed, Jul 14, 2010 : 7:05 p.m.
"The Great Lakes are the largest surface freshwater system on the Earth. They contain about 84 percent of North America's surface fresh water and about 21 percent of the world's supply.".... http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/basicinfo.html With over 20% of the world's fresh water supply all around us water should be very cheap around here. You would expect that we would have the lowest water rates in the country by far. Ok AA.com. A research project for you. How do the YCUA water rates compare to other places around the country? Answer that question and we'll know if we are being charged a fair rate.
ThaKillaBee
Wed, Jul 14, 2010 : 3:50 p.m.
I agree with lumberg. Considering what it is, it's a bargain -- though I've always wondered why the cost is not part of property tax anyway.
lumberg48108
Wed, Jul 14, 2010 : 1:28 p.m.
$20 a year spread over 12 months is something I can live with - as long as the water flows its a good deal considering the logistics involved.