Inkster residents raise billing spikes as treasurer details mandatory meter replacement

Several Inkster residents used the public-comment period to describe unexpected and large water-bill increases and to request a clearer customer-service and investigation process.

Sarah Ward said her account showed a sudden spike and that staff had characterized the bill as a 'leak' without documenting an investigation to her satisfaction. She described prior bills of roughly $80–$100 that later rose to figures she gave as $1,049 or $1,500 in some months and said she had paid for extensive plumbing work ("$10,500 plumbing work" was mentioned) yet still faced billing questions.

Mayor Nolan apologized for the way Ward said she had been treated at the city desk and said the city had invested in a new automated metering system that he estimated at "$5,000,000 I think $6,000,000." He asked staff (Latoya) to follow up on Ward’s records and said the city would investigate why a seven-day spike on the meter record stopped without an obvious repair.

The treasurer later spoke to the council and said the meter-replacement program is continuing citywide, appointments are scheduled by residents’ trash days, and the replacements are at no cost to residents. He warned the city cannot maintain two parallel billing systems and will begin turning off old meters as the new system is adopted.

Why it matters: Sudden billing increases can impose financial hardship on households and erode trust in utility billing. The city’s plan to replace meters is intended to modernize billing accuracy, but residents said they need clearer investigation and communication when spikes occur.

Next steps: City officials asked residents with disputed bills to provide addresses and to speak with Latoya in the clerk's office so staff can document investigations and correct validated errors.