Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees approves water and sewer rate increases
Ypsilanti Township residents will soon see their water and sewer rates increase.
Ypsilanti Community Utility Authority executive director Jeff Castro said the rate increases are a result of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department passing on increases to the YCUA.
A minimum user will see a 4.77-percent increase on their bi-monthly bill, or approximately $2.23. The average user - which Castro said is typically a family of four - will see a 4.75-percent increase, or approximately $4.43 per bi-monthly bill.
A minimum user uses under 600 cubic feet bi-monthly while an average household uses between 1600 and 2000 cubic feet bi-monthly.
The Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees unanimously approved a first reading of the increases, which would go into effect in October.
Jeff Castro
Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com
The DWSD passed on a 6.3-percent increase in operating costs and a 6-percent increase in its fixed rate. No matter how little a consumer uses, they are automatically charged a minimum, or fixed, rate.
Castro said water usage in Michigan is dropping in general and the DWSD needs to make up for those lost revenues by increasing the fixed rate.
Ypsilanti Township Treasurer Larry Doe noted that the YCUA was able to pass on a much smaller increase to its customers than what the DWSD passed on to it.
“That’s due to the containment of other operating costs,” Castro said.
Ypsilanti Township’s water consumption has dropped by 24-percent over the past five years, which is largely attributed to its loss of industry. At one time the GM Willow Run Plant was the largest water user of its kind in the country.
Despite that, Castro said the township’s levels have been stabilizing and the YCUA is projecting that usage will continue to stay at current levels.
“We’ve seen the worst,” Castro said. “We’ve hit bottom and, projecting out, we see the future looking bright.”
The Ypsilanti City Council and Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees must approve rate increases. YCUA Customers last saw a rate increase in late 2012.
Tom Perkins is a freelance reporter. Contact the AnnArbor.com news desk at news@annarbor.com.
Comments
Captain Obvious
Wed, Sep 4, 2013 : 4:39 p.m.
Please remember that Ms. Stumbo and Mr. Doe are on the Board of Directors for YCUA. Ms. Stumbo is the actually the Chairperson of the Board of Commissioners. Does that bring up a conflict of interest? Hmm? Kind of hard to vote NO as a Township official when the request came from you on the other side.
Themadcatter
Mon, Sep 2, 2013 : 7:56 p.m.
Don't complain too much. I live in the township but my water is supplied by the City, thus I pay the city rates for water & sewer plus a surcharge that is greater than either of the aforementioned. For comparison, my base rate for 600cf or less is $72.64 bi-monthly. Water: $22.53, Sewer: $20.71, Surcharge: $29.40. But, if you look at it broken down by daily use it's just over a dollar a day. People spend more than that just to buy a 24 oz plastic bottle filled with plain 'ol H2O. (And I won't go into the environmental impact of this unnecessary "convenience").
IVote
Mon, Sep 2, 2013 : 2:48 p.m.
Isn't Ficano's aide who just retired with a $96,000 per year pension at age 42, now a high paid executive with the Detroit water dept?
IVote
Mon, Sep 2, 2013 : 2:45 p.m.
Along with the Ypsi twp property tax increase. Again, less money I can afford and would use to help people. I hope someone else can pick up the slack. It makes me sad.
ypsi
Mon, Sep 2, 2013 : 5:47 p.m.
Property taxes,lighting fees and now water too.I have 4 lots I pay taxes for meaning I am paying 4 times for one light being installed on my street!
fire389
Mon, Sep 2, 2013 : 1:52 p.m.
So, in essence, we're still paying for the corruption that went on in the DWSD and various other departments in Detroit's city government. It's been year after year after year increases, regardless of the stagnant economy. Guess the water and sewage is now consider gold. That seems to be the way they're treating it!
dading dont delete me bro
Mon, Sep 2, 2013 : 1:08 p.m.
"... YCUA Customers last saw a rate increase in late 2012." this was just last year...! will there be one next year too?
IVote
Mon, Sep 2, 2013 : 2:49 p.m.
If the township elected officials have anything to say about it!
dading dont delete me bro
Mon, Sep 2, 2013 : 1:06 p.m.
i vote no
GregP CRC
Mon, Sep 2, 2013 : 10:53 a.m.
Doesn't price go up with demand? Why is the price of water going up when demand has declined in Michigan? What exactly are we paying for when it appears there is less demand for water to be processed and distributed and less waste to be treated? Who or what does this money go to?
twp
Thu, Sep 5, 2013 : 2:34 a.m.
That's not how it works. As a residential customer like you and I the more you use the more you pay. As a contract community of Detroit like Ycua, Romulus and Westland. It works opposite when usage goes down the cost goes up. Debt still must be made on aging infrastructure, those are called fixed costs and they don't go down until they are almost paid. Then new debt continues. Rates would barley go up if infrastructure was ignored. I moved here from a community that couldn't manage their system or their rates. Detroit will increase rates every year like they have for the last 20 years. I don't like Detroit especially after the corruption that's happened. Ycua appears to care about their customers by passing on less of an increase than Detroit has imposed on them. Ycua rates are still lowest rates around. I support Ycua not Dwsd.
beardown
Mon, Sep 2, 2013 : 8:30 p.m.
We are paying more so that YCUA can pay for corruption at the DWSD. As well as new pipe systems that cause sinkholes.
dogman32
Mon, Sep 2, 2013 : 1:50 p.m.
Once again the reward for being asked to conserve a natural resource and succeeding is to pay more for it.