As of January 1st, the Great Lakes Water Authority officially takes of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. Oakland County Deputy Executive and the county representative for the authority board, Bob Daddow, said the rate-and-revenue-setting process began this past November and continues into 2016. Daddow told the Oakland Press, “There’s no way for us to determine at this juncture what rates will look like, but the memorandum of understanding signed last June indicates that rates and revenue requirements can go up no greater than 4% … but that isn’t necessarily what communities will see. The water bill to local communities is an entirely different story.” He added, rates are determined by usage, community costs, and other factors. Officials expect the implementation of the GLWA to slow future rate increases.
The GLWA was created under court order in 2014 as part of the Detroit bankruptcy plan. Its board consists of representations from Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties along with a representative from the City of Detroit and an appointment from Governor Rick Snyder. Effective 2016, suburban communities will have a voice regarding water-setting rates. New rates are expected to go into effect July 1, 2016. The next GLWA meeting is scheduled for Wednesday January 13th at the Water Board Building located at 735 Randolph Street in Detroit.
