Water rates going up in several Washtenaw County communities
Water and sewer rates will soon be increasing for many customers in Washtenaw County.
The most notable increases are for Superior Township residents in a subdivision serviced through a contract with Ann Arbor Township.
Superior Township's Board of Trustees approved new water rates last week for residential and commercial users who receive their services from YCUA and Ann Arbor Township.
Superior Township officials say the rate changes - effective Friday - are a pass-through of the increases YCUA and Ann Arbor Township imposed.
Superior’s YCUA customers will see a 3.18% increase on their water rates only, which will result in an overall increase of 1.87% on their bills. An average quarterly residential bill of 2,600 cubic feet will go up $2.86, the township said.
The increase for Superior’s Ann Arbor Township customers will be 12.76% for water and 11.53% for sewer, for an overall increase of 12.15%. An average quarterly residential bill of 2,600 cubic feet will go up $32.50, the township said.
Superior Township officials said today that the only customers impacted by the double-digit increases are those who live in a subdivision serviced by Ann Arbor Township utilities. Officials said the rates are simply a pass-through from Ann Arbor Township, which gets its water and sewer services from the city of Ann Arbor.
Also last week, Ypsilanti's City Council approved a 5.5 percent increase for water usage in the city. The council also passed a 2 percent decrease in water surcharge rates. City officials said Ypsilanti residents can expect to see an average increase of $1.77.
In July, YCUA's board approved a 5.75 percent increase in water rates for Ypsilanti, Pittsfield, Superior and Augusta townships, which buy water from YCUA. The new rates become effective Tuesday.
In Ann Arbor, which has its own water treatment plant, water, sewer and stormwater rate hikes went into effect July 1 that increase the bill of a typical single family by 2.54 percent.
Comments
linuxtuxguy
Mon, Aug 31, 2009 : 4:23 p.m.
Matt Van Auker, water is free. If you own land you are welcome to dig a well and tap the water under your property. Or set up a rain barrel and catch all the rain water that happens to fall in your vicinity. Public water utilities, however, have costs in purifying water, building/maintaining distribution infrastructure, and administration costs. Even if it was "free" to the recipients, they would still be paying somehow, such as with higher taxes.
Matt Van Auker
Sat, Aug 29, 2009 : 8:50 a.m.
Water should be Free for Everyone. There is a saying in one of the history I'm reading, in regard to Michigan, which says, "Water, Water, Everywhere." That is simply one of the benefits of this state, that puts us apart from other states, unlike any other.
uawisok
Wed, Aug 26, 2009 : 10:55 a.m.
Municipalities with shrinking tax base have their citizens over the proverbial barrel when it comes to water and sewer rates...it will become the general fund mindset from which to tap $$ for other areas..IMO...The City Of Detroit has been doing it for decades to the suburbs taht are tied to their water.
linuxtuxguy
Wed, Aug 26, 2009 : 9:44 a.m.
Wow, why is the Ann Arbor Township rate increase so much higher? Were they paying less to begin with?