[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6107725,"mediaKeyId","2772837-eea98d620119525e5e8da79bdaffdc9b","parentId",2772837,"title","Council presses DWSD on drainage fees, green credits and stormwater options as 3.5% increase approaches","audioSeconds",3846,"startMs",999645,"endMs",4846120,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2772837-eea98d620119525e5e8da79bdaffdc9b&start=999&end=4846","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2772837-eea98d620119525e5e8da79bdaffdc9b/thumbnail_999645.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6107725/Detroit/Wayne-County/Michigan/Council-presses-DWSD-on-drainage-fees-green-credits-and-stormwater-options-as-35-increase-approaches","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107725-e431e820317467a40f4e1263e20e9a6f/orig.mp4?Expires=1773578975&Signature=cCvR10uVRYkVThXT17MMw5OVxCpf8NAI4OwB-bCwqvGUO99bfFEH1xUH35pCDsA1I-VvyM9EwD959ylVKcfWYIaBat84Hj2aK2CjOvR5Jy8P3gvCNnHeepa-UV8aoBhMbAb-ASsiOVSq89w9ZFDNM5PXvvhV6ajV8CgWLCy4LJjJP1MCA-F5QyVfGyi5FQgBz1s9cyC0WoUJYoKYFaqdL30CVPe22CNAe9UAg8MnTbcIZmwDEyOjtw56Gq22WyxrOoVvrkfutGcaUXT~0CMY8zLeIQt0Su~G2Vc6Fe9buXUrz1FM-efVRIyVp7FXPXuSsvUaFZg~A3GduLb2BkPz4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Detroit, MI ","date","2025-03-21T00:00:00Z","article","Council members used Monday’s DWSD budget hearing to press officials about drainage fees, credit programs and practical stormwater solutions for residents, churches and businesses.

Detroit Water and Sewage Department Director Gary Brown and Chief Financial Officer Istaka Raman told council the department proposes a 3.5% increase to drainage charges in FY2026, consistent with the broader rate package. Council member Mary Waters calculated that the 3.5% drainage increase translates to about $24.82 per acre per month and said churches and commercial customers are often most burdened because they have large impervious areas.

Brown told council the drainage charge formula derives from a settlement agreement resolving litigation; the settlement requires charging by billable impervious acres. Raman added that DWSD contracted a professional cost‑of‑service study (Stantec, 2022) to model flows in the city’s combined system and to establish the drainage charge methodology.

Council members repeatedly asked what the department could do to reduce fees for impacted customers. Brown said DWSD offers a 25% green credit for qualifying projects that reduce impervious area or manage stormwater on site, but he warned that the capital cost of doing parking‑lot retrofits or large green projects often produces a long return on investment that limits private uptake. He said DWSD has previously used grant funding to support credits and mitigation programs, but current grant flows are limited.

Council members proposed several follow‑ups; DWSD agreed to take actions and council members moved multiple items into executive session for further development. Approved items included a DWSD‑led public information campaign to explain drainage fee calculations and credits, a feasibility/pilot study on rain barrels and rain gardens in residential neighborhoods, a program to provide engineering support and blueprints to small businesses and nonprofits seeking to reduce impervious area, and further review of modeling and the Eastside Stormwater Relief Project. Councillors also asked DWSD to prioritize cleaning and restoration work for known problem streets and catch basins.

Brown emphasized operational work tied to the budget: catch basin cleaning (8,000 basins), 600 miles of sewer cleaning on a five‑year cycle and continued investments to reduce street flooding. He said if additional federal or state funds are available DWSD could scale lead‑line and stormwater projects faster.

Ending: Council requested formal proposals and outreach materials; DWSD said it will return with implementation plans and noted it can help design projects but that construction financing remains the principal obstacle for many property owners.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Detroit City Council Budget Hearing _ WATER SEWERAGE DEPT 03-21-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council members questioned DWSD about a 3.5% drainage‑fee increase, fee calculations based on impervious acres and what the department can do to relieve churches, businesses and residents.","taxTitle","Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan","taxId",48464,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6107735,"Detroit Water Department proposes 3.5% rate increase for FY2026; officials outline staffing, lead-line goals and budget drivers",5492,95970,5588695,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2772837-eea98d620119525e5e8da79bdaffdc9b&start=95&end=5588","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2772837-eea98d620119525e5e8da79bdaffdc9b/thumbnail_95970.jpg","/articles/6107735/Detroit/Wayne-County/Michigan/Detroit-Water-Department-proposes-35-rate-increase-for-FY2026-officials-outline-staffing-lead-line-goals-and-budget-drivers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107735-4365150d4311edc7c68aa699f057657f/orig.mp4?Expires=1773578975&Signature=d~L~634~9svAIRVPBDTkjon3h-NRYYSoWpT5Mq472Nfv~HdMNYnqEJgw8iMKMvLwVYXBW9OPVzIDuTjtIf4j5MZVWjG6uUaUkYtV381Y4U1vk1-1VRmuH8B8gn5alz6g60o2rz39aZ8~s6LR95Z11gTZyXno4dYL0P2CaYVz0LGZC7vxt3ZC08EDYwzeHeli9RGqxuRIKxogrFBZLreDuqLkWnbvjWDkgs8qgtN164t78RySDfKBUsPI4pNKwJGtBcBrrfVDy8gvmmkv0F7FxQhaeWGqa8U7kbMJrWjw2eKUi-N1MouSV19e1R0ZtGW-sXq0mB5z~dAt2k8qRpzNgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Detroit Water and Sewage Department Director Gary Brown told the Detroit City Council on Monday that the department’s proposed fiscal year 2026 operating budget includes a 3.5% across‑the‑board rate increase for water, sewer and drainage services.

Brown said the department’s overall systemwide revenue requirement is roughly $521.3 million, which the department offsets with non‑retail and non‑rate revenues before arriving at a rate revenue requirement the department expects to collect through customer charges.

Brown and Istaka Raman, DWSD’s chief financial officer, said the proposal was shaped by several drivers: an increase in Detroit’s share of the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) wholesale revenue requirement (which they said increased by about $12.3 million), a $6.1 million rise in estimated bad debt, higher pension costs and new personnel costs. Raman said departmental (direct) expenses rose about 5.6% and non‑departmental (indirect) expenses about 5.2% compared with FY2025.

Raman said the proposal adds a net 20 full‑time field positions, all assigned to operations rather than administration, and that non‑personal expense increases of about $3.4 million support those added staff and higher service levels. Brown said the department currently carries about 67 vacancies and has a hiring freeze through July 1 to manage near‑term costs.

The department presented changes to the rate structure on a per‑unit basis: Raman said the volumetric water rate for tier 1 (up to 0.6 MCF) increases by $0.93 per 1,000 cubic feet and tier 2 by $1.65 per 1,000 cubic feet; the sewer volumetric rate increases by $2.05 per 1,000 cubic feet. Service charges would rise by roughly $0.28 for water and $0.23 for sewer per month. Raman said converting those volumetric changes to per‑gallon terms produces increases of less than a penny per gallon. He said projected changes in billed volume (1.1%–2.0%) partially offset rate increases and that the net effect on typical customer bills is small; Brown later said the average residential bill of about $84 would rise by less than $3 under the proposal.

Brown emphasized work the department said it will continue to fund with the budget: cleaning about 600 miles of sewer lines on a five‑year cycle, inspecting and cleaning roughly 8,000 catch basins, painting 5,000 fire hydrants and continuing lead service line replacement. He said DWSD plans to replace about 3,500 lead service lines in FY2026 and that the department could replace up to 8,000 lines in a year if additional state or federal funding becomes available. Brown noted roughly 12,000 lead lines have been replaced since 2018 and said DWSD’s goal is to remove all lead service lines within 10 years if funding allows.

Brown warned that a previously reallocated $30 million (moved from bond funds to support lead‑line removal) will be exhausted by April and said the department is operating “bleeding through approximately $2.5 million a week” on removals. He said that without new federal or state grant funding the cost of fully removing lead lines would be “a hundred million dollar endeavor” that would be cost‑prohibitive to pass entirely to ratepayers.

Council members asked about tradeoffs in the proposal: Council member Coleman Young II said raising rates while affordability programs lose funding and while new staff are hired would make it hard to explain changes to constituents. Brown replied that rate revenue cannot be used directly to subsidize other customers’ bills and that affordability funding must come from outside rates, through grants or other non‑rate sources. He said DWSD contributes 1% of its annual budget to the Lifeline program under a “Cox order,” which translates to about $2.4 million; the department estimates the Lifeline program needs roughly $25 million to support the 27,000 customers previously enrolled.

Brown cited recent operational costs as additional pressure on the budget: he said a recent major water main break cost the department about $5 million. Brown also told council the Great Lakes Water Authority line that ruptured in Southwest Detroit was not a DWSD pipe and that GLWA also has large capital investments underway.

Brown concluded by saying the proposed 3.5% increase is consistent with recent inflation trends and the department’s effort to keep annual rate increases below 4% while preserving service levels and public‑health standards.

Ending: Council members asked for more written questions and follow‑up documents; Brown said DWSD and its finance team will provide additional details and that the DWSD board had finalized its numbers the previous day.","Detroit Water and Sewage Department Director Gary Brown told the Detroit City Council on Monday that the department’s proposed fiscal year 2026 operating budget includes a 3.5% across‑the‑board rate increase for water, sewer and drainage services.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6107720,"DWSD says Lifeline affordability program faces funding shortfall; enrollment falls from 27,000 to about 10,000",2478,1209930,3688260,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2772837-eea98d620119525e5e8da79bdaffdc9b&start=1209&end=3688","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2772837-eea98d620119525e5e8da79bdaffdc9b/thumbnail_1209930.jpg","/articles/6107720/Detroit/Wayne-County/Michigan/DWSD-says-Lifeline-affordability-program-faces-funding-shortfall-enrollment-falls-from-27000-to-about-10000","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107720-cb4b20b10004f62b4a90403557f0efd4/orig.mp4?Expires=1773578975&Signature=YNM~PJ4-JSF2qW7vvWY-anhXuMfGy2hAf0OC-37ONDngonFwFv7YqtKBf3SlnoXPybZze-vsfuqZ-6aJbdr5OXx8paINlMzcI-UGnvSOxKVw6YmB3~Y1yfdcD-BO34l4cpVijXvnzRlASXZpqVuU1m5iNM3USIQ0Z-Z-~hvQcTFG-~YhZejncwdBjVRKrh1Mnu-19NKyKE61FajphMDrRa8Eyeu5mxEllmAz1bcbTon5w0HnW4aqAtsShYnG8NfvYlJtfRT-uqaRRP-Ib2hNee9~87TaoGWPq-3x8xs81ndU464EC7Tzk7PFS7bnPxu7dOz6VSURm4MfWDtuHk9foQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Detroit Water and Sewage Department officials told City Council on Monday that the department’s Lifeline affordability program has far fewer participants than it did in earlier years because available funding has dwindled.

Director Gary Brown said the Lifeline program previously enrolled about 27,000 customers and capped participant bills at 1.8% of household income. He said DWSD’s contribution to Lifeline is roughly 1% of the department’s annual budget (about $2.4 million under the cited ‘‘Cox order’’) and that the State of Michigan contributes about $8 million. Brown said those combined funds currently support roughly 10,000 residents; the department sent approximately 6,000 customers letters indicating funding is not available to continue support for all prior enrollees.

Brown and council members described DWSD’s year‑and‑a‑half lobbying effort in Lansing and Washington for a statewide or federal funding mechanism. Brown said the department proposed a meter surcharge (initially $2 per meter) to create a statewide pool of funds but was unable to secure a vote on the legislation in Lansing. Brown said DWSD will continue advocacy in Washington during Water Week and seek regional partners to pursue federal support for utility affordability programs.

Council members said the shortfall creates immediate hardship concern in neighborhoods and urged continued state and federal outreach. Council voted without objection to add a resolution encouraging DWSD to pursue regional or national solutions and to participate in discussions about a national low‑income water assistance mechanism.

Ending: DWSD said it will continue advocacy and bring updates on federal and state outreach efforts; council members asked DWSD to include estimates of unmet need and program costs in follow‑up materials.","DWSD officials told council the Lifeline affordability program — which capped customer bills at 1.8% of household income — no longer has funding to cover prior enrollment levels: DWSD contributes about $2.4 million under a Cox order and the state adds about $8 million, supporting roughly 10,000 households compared with 27,000 at peak; councilors",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6107730,"Council asks DWSD for 30‑day report on American Water Resources warranty program after resident complaints",580,1902705,2483230,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2772837-eea98d620119525e5e8da79bdaffdc9b&start=1902&end=2483","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2772837-eea98d620119525e5e8da79bdaffdc9b/thumbnail_1902705.jpg","/articles/6107730/Detroit/Wayne-County/Michigan/Council-asks-DWSD-for-30day-report-on-American-Water-Resources-warranty-program-after-resident-complaints","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107730-9ad41845976919bcba544703cba7e792/orig.mp4?Expires=1773578975&Signature=l~~E16XD6tJ47cR5CtYGNSZ7QvOCEANiNl3NK5gHP30GLBPBbyDNpfxt~yZIbGsM4N-kvRJh2P2y7mVB6o4YreYWMxMnCiGQU3EvwoAqE6uwxuFEUBBv4fvEomj6xnP3zElowMNtShx4rMALGZFiFQKHdkn9B4skYozkneYtc0LC6f34dHsVQq0M6y~PH42x3-kdzaB4tuNX1sZwDvU6XsivFl-nC5DUCzR-LS2qaUdSIsgGmeHOFV35RT8MTxenId1DgRw0q4n5uHdmlgp4yToTrZXZj7Ke4QhDoz-EEIOFVjrymhKIHz92Na2YJCgrnRflM2jCmEIzaGwFNFnOqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Council members on Monday pressed Detroit Water and Sewage Department officials for data on the city’s warranty contractor, American Water Resources, citing numerous resident complaints and confusing marketing.

Council members Mary Waters, Pro Tem James Tate and others described social‑media posts and articles documenting customer grievances, including allegations of poor service and billing problems. Council member Waters and others said some residents, including seniors, reported paying enrollment fees and failing to receive promised services.

Detroit Water and Sewage Department Director Gary Brown said DWSD contracted with American Water Resources for an outside‑of‑the‑house warranty program (service for lateral and exterior water and sewer lines). Brown said the company later marketed an expanded inside‑the‑home warranty that DWSD does not endorse and that the company used DWSD’s logo without permission; Brown said DWSD’s law department took action and the logo was removed.

Brown told council the company has performed both positive and negative work for Detroit residents: he said American Water Resources and its contractors supported DWSD’s response to a recent 54‑inch break and donated $20,000 to provide one‑year warranties to affected customers. At the same time, Brown acknowledged numerous complaints and said DWSD will present a report with usage and performance data compiled by staff and the DWSD liaison, Nikki Branch, within 30 days.

Council members asked about the contract’s term. Brown said the American Water Resources contract expires in May 2026 and that DWSD can cancel the contract at any time “at no cost.” Members moved to add a review of the contract and related customer‑service concerns to executive session; the motion passed by unanimous voice approval.

Ending: Brown said he will present the data to the council — either in committee or before the full body — after DWSD compiles it, and council members requested that DWSD include figures on denials, service outcomes and customer complaints.","Council members pressed DWSD over complaints about American Water Resources’ warranty offerings, asked for data and agreed to discuss the contractor’s May 2026 contract renewal in executive session; DWSD said it can cancel the contract at no cost and will present a data report within 30 days.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council presses DWSD on drainage fees, green credits and stormwater options as 3.5% increase approaches

Detroit Water Department proposes 3.5% rate increase for FY2026; officials outline staffing, lead-line goals and budget drivers

DWSD says Lifeline affordability program faces funding shortfall; enrollment falls from 27,000 to about 10,000

Council asks DWSD for 30‑day report on American Water Resources warranty program after resident complaints