Owosso debates options to pay for $200 million water and sewer plan as council approves DWSRF bond

Owosso officials on Wednesday presented residents with alternatives for funding a roughly $200 million water and sewer capital improvements program and approved a bond ordinance to finance a portion of that work.

City Manager Nathan Henney and Public Works Director Ryan Suhanik told the Owosso City Council that the full five‑year capital plan, as modeled by Baker Tilly, would raise the average quarterly residential water bill (assumed at 18 units per quarter) from about $266 now to roughly $710.33 by 2030 if the council adopted the plan without cuts. Henney said council members and staff have been exploring lower‑cost options after hearing resident concerns.

The city offered three broad alternatives: the full plan that produces the $710 quarterly estimate; a 25–50% reduction scenario that would lower projected bills but postpone work; and a targeted “specific project deferment” plan that the city says would reduce the year‑five average to about $554 per quarter. Henney said staff and Baker Tilly built the scenarios to show tradeoffs between near‑term rate pressure and deferred project risk.

Why this matters: the improvements include major work at the water treatment plant and wastewater facility, replacement of aging mains and lead or galvanized service lines, and other system upgrades that the city says are necessary to meet regulatory requirements and to avoid a future plant failure.

Director Suhanik reviewed…