LINCOLN PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Lincoln Park residents will see their water bills increase by 15 to 28% starting Sept. 1.
Watch Carli Petrus's video report:
The Lincoln Park City Council approved the new water and sewer rates on Aug. 10. According to the city's website, the increase is needed to address aging infrastructure, including water mains, sewers, pump stations, and meters.
The city says making a larger increase now is meant to stabilize the system and limit future rate hikes to about 3% a year for the next decade.
There is also another significant issue driving the decision. More than 40% of the water entering the system is not being billed to customers. The city says it does not know exactly where all that water is going and is working to find the leaks, replace meters, and reduce water loss.
For a customer using 12 units of water, the city's example shows a quarterly bill going from about $194 to about $248 — roughly $54 more every three months.
The city says that money will not go into the general fund. Water and sewer revenue is restricted to the utility system, paying for things like water purchases, sewer treatment and repairs.
For longtime residents like Mike Gillaspie, the news has been hard to digest. He says he understands the city needs to maintain its water and sewer system, but he is concerned about how much residents are now being asked to pay.
"It's just it's absurd," Gillaspie said. "A lot of people may not be able to pay their bill after this happens, or they're going to be late all the time, and then they're going to have late fees stacked on top of their regular bill."
Gillaspie also questioned the city's transparency around the water loss issue.
"Where is this water leak everyone's talking about, and how do you get to the bottom of finding it?" Gillaspie said.
Another longtime resident, who asked to be identified only as Mr. Lemerand, says he has lived in Lincoln Park for more than 30 years. He says he is retired, his wife is retired, and they are both on a fixed income.
"They're taking my money. I would've put that in gas, or went and did anything, but I'm spending it on a water bill," Lemerand said. "It literally took money out of our own pockets that we use to survive. They've made it unaffordable to live in this tiny little house."
The city manager and mayor were contacted for more information on the decision and for their response to resident concerns, but had not responded as of publication.
The next City Council meeting is Monday. Residents say they are hoping to voice their concerns there.
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