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Riverview resident cites steep water-bill increases; council explains pass-throughs and meter plan
Summary
At the March 17 Riverview City Council meeting, resident Andrew Tower presented data showing year-over-year water and sewer rate increases and urged more transparency; Mayor Swift and council members outlined why rates rose and noted a planned meter-replacement program and major infrastructure costs.
Andrew Tower, a Riverview resident, told the City Council on March 17, 2025, that a November–February water bill for his household came to $464.51 and urged the council to be more transparent about annual water and sewer-rate increases.
Tower said he requested five years of historical rate data and described a series of council-approved rate changes he attributed to higher bills: 1.92% in 2019, 2.32% in 2020, 0% in 2021, 3% in 2022, 5% in 2023 and 9% in 2024. He told council the 9% jump in 2024 “was a staggering $464.51” for his household and compared Riverview’s increases to those announced by the Great Lakes Water Authority, urging the council to consider the financial strain on families when it votes on rates in September.
The council and mayor responded with explanations of why local charges have risen. Mayor Swift said the city passes through increases from the Great Lakes Water Authority and also must collect funds for the city’s own infrastructure and maintenance costs. “We all know that…water’s not cheap anymore,” Swift said, adding that some costs—such as connecting to flood-control infrastructure—are substantial: “We got a a $6,000,000 bill coming up, hooking up to the the dual tunnel to prevent flooding.”
Resident Ed Moss asked about the city’s meter-replacement timetable; the mayor said the city has a water-meter replacement plan and that staff (Jeff Webb was named) will provide updates. On the common citizen complaint that bills jump after a meter replacement, Mayor Swift said residents should know “water meters are designed to fail in favor of the customer,” and that replacing an inaccurate meter can make usage readings higher because the new meter measures more accurately. He also advised residents to work with the Department of Public Works to verify meter accuracy if they see unexpected increases.
Tower asked the council to “consider the families that are facing…inflation” when voting on future rate adjustments. No formal council action on rates occurred at the March 17 meeting; the item was raised as public comment and council members said the September vote on GLWA pass-throughs remains the city’s decision point.
The remainder of the meeting moved on to routine business and the consent agenda.
