Highland Park water director outlines metering, 1,000-line lead replacement and GLWA billing negotiations

Damon Garrett, director of the Highland Park water department, told viewers on Ask HP Live that the city has completed three master-meter projects and is now "officially, metered on the water side," a development he described as historic and necessary for accurate billing and eventual rate relief.

Garrett said the department completed two master-meter installations by July and a third (John R and McNichols) in mid-October, and that those meters — together with new pressure monitors — should reduce system pressure swings and help the city better detect main breaks. "Highland Park is officially, metered on the water side, which is which is huge," he said.

Why it matters: accurate master meters and additional monitoring change how the city measures consumption from the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA). Garrett said those measurements are fundamental to renegotiating GLWA charges and passing savings to residents through rate-setting.

Lead service-line work and filters

Garrett outlined two parallel replacement efforts: prior small-scale filter distributions funded by Wayne County and a current, grant-funded lead-service-line replacement project that ties filter distribution to in-home replacements. "Each person who is receiving a new lead service line is receiving a filter as a result of that," Garrett said. He listed the current project area as south of Davidson between Woodward and Hamilton, and streets including Woodward, Oakland, Davidson and Connecticut as eligible for the current filters.

He described the current effort as the largest the city has undertaken: "we are installing 1,000 lead service lines, which is, the most lead service lines that we've ever installed in the city." Garrett said that scale will double recent annual replacement totals and move the city substantially toward its long-term replacement goal.

Garrett also addressed residents' complaints about contractor conduct and restoration delays, acknowledging reports of debris left in homes and yards waiting months for final restoration. He said the department has instructed contractors to improve resident notification and to coordinate with the water department rather than using ad-hoc Facebook posts to contact residents.

Timeline and legal obligations

Garrett said the current project began in the fall and is scheduled to be finished in July 2026. He added the broader water-main replacement program began in 2018 and the department is tracking an overall completion target around 2031, though he said the schedule could change in response to resident feedback.

On legal obligations, Garrett said the state lead-service-line replacement statute requires communities to replace lead service lines by 2041 and that the city-funded project replaces the line from the main into the home. He stated the department is "mandated to discontinue the service if you refuse to have your [lead] service line replaced" in an active project area, framing it as a health-and-safety requirement.

Billing dispute and expected savings

The department is also pursuing bill reductions with GLWA. Garrett reviewed the city's multi-year usage history — citing GLWA's 2016 estimate of about 3.25 million gallons per day (gpd), later negotiated down in stages — and said recent master meters show actual daily water use across the system nearer 950,000–1,000,000 gpd. That lower measured volume is the basis for ongoing negotiations that Garrett said should allow the city to revise rates and share any savings with customers. He said GLWA charges represent roughly 65% of the water department's expenses.

Sewer billing is a separate dispute, Garrett added: GLWA billed the city about 5.25 million gpd for sewer while local meter readings suggest flows closer to 3 million gpd; the department has installed 19 sewer meters (in place since 2022) and is contesting the billed volumes.

Outreach and next steps

Garrett said the department plans regular town halls and will post a generic project-area map on the city's website showing anticipated timing so residents can see when work may reach their block. He urged residents to attend one-on-ones at city hall or town halls for detailed questions about restoration, timing and individual accounts.

The department also plans to meet with GLWA and to pursue rate-setting meetings before next summer; Garrett said the department hopes revised charges will appear in the next formal rate-setting cycle.

The water department closed by thanking residents for patience and asking them to report issues directly to the department so the city can improve communication and construction sequencing.